Parables Today

Wrongly Accused

2012-02-10T06:00:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Wrongly Accused

This plot device happens in detective films and thrillers when the cops are chasing the wrong man. The hero attempts to prove his innocence while simultaneously evading the cops. In their attempt to prove their innocence, they wind up breaking a series of crimes.

They usually are acquitted of all the crimes they've committed in the process which calls into question the issue of just laws and unjust laws. As long as he catches the "bad guy" in the end, he receives a get out of jail free card.

Below are some examples.

Minority Report

The Fugitive

The Negotiator

The Firm

The 2012 TV show.

Dead All Along

2012-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Dead All Along

[Spoiler Alert]

One of our main characters, usually the hero, has been dead since the first act of the story. Sometimes he doesn't know it, sometimes we don't know, and sometimes it's both.

This concept takes on certain spiritual truths about our own awareness of reality and the meaning of life.

Below are some examples.

The Sixth Sense

This is one of the most popular examples.

The Others

How I Met Your Mother

One episode plays with the idea that the children are (spoiler) imaginary or no longer living.

Waking Life

While it's debatable in this film, most lean towards the 'dead all along' trope.

Last Stand

2012-02-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Last Stand

When there's no way out and surrender is dishonorable, like Sampson, it's time to make your last stand. This happens with both egotistical villians and extremely brave heroes.

Below are some examples:

Scarface

"say hello to my little friend"

300

"Give them nothing! But take from them everything! Tonight we dine in hell."

Gran Torino

He came to his last stand unarmed.

Chronicle

2012-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Chronicle

This is another teen angst film where their feelings of alienation are amplified by super powers. I love their tagline "it's all fun and games until everyone gets hurt."

The main problem-child here is Andrew. He turns from a nobody into a somebody overnight and, like say the Penguin in Batman Returns, he does not want to step out of the spotlight.

When things start going wrong, the teens try to instill some rules but that only means we get to see someone (I'm looking at Andrew) break them.

Although this film uses a lot of special effects, it also does a good job of using shaky cam as a special effect.

Meaningful Echoes

2012-01-30T07:41:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Meaningful Echoes

An 'ordinary' line is later repeated with a much greater depth of context.

We see this happen in the Bourne Trilogy.

In the first film the professor says to Bourne "Look at us. Look at what they make you give."

In the last film Bourne says to an assassin "Look at us. Look at what they make you give." This takes on a deeper meaning with the baptismal imagery in the end.

Wolverine Origins

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Wolverine Origins

For some reason, I always get choked up when watching the first 10-15 minutes of this movie. The story manages to combine sibling rivalry and the big brother instinct, through the use of some arc words at the beginning of the film.

Shortly after James/Wolverine gets the "He's not your Father but I am" revelation, his brother Victor/Sabertooth tells him they have to keep running and never look back.

He also mentions how they're brothers and they have to look after each other.

These words take on more depth and meaning by the end of the film.

Aliens vs. Out of Africa

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Aliens v. Out of Africa

To paraphrase Howard Aiken, don't worry about someone stealing your 'original' idea. They don't really want original ideas, they want different versions of the same story.

This has been called meta-narrative. Bashir points out similarities between Aliens and Out of Africa. Below are some parallels.

They set off on a journey, but their journey is called into question. (Bror questions Karen and Parker questions Ripley).

They enter into a foreign and unfriendly place, but they find one good friend. (Dallas for Ripley and Berkeley for Karen).

They are both warned about staying. (Delamere warns Karen and Lambert warns Ripley)

In the end, they both have a showdown. Karen battles her fears and feelings. Ripley battles an Alien. Karen lives to write again and Ripley lives to fight again.

Big Brother Instinct

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Big Brother Instinct

Every character has a certain button. When you press it they go nuts, act out of character, or channel all of their energy. This happens a lot with big brothers or big sisters. It's been called the protective big brother instinct.

Below are some examples.

Nathan and Peter in Heroes

Micheal and SJ in The Blind Side

Sonny and Connie in The Godfather

Touch

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Touch

Until the 24 movie comes out, maybe we should check out Touch. At the heart of this story is a father-son relationship between widower Martin and his son.

The son perceives universal patterns connecting people in the past, present, and the future. Like Crash, we're all connected to some bigger destiny.

This show in particular is based on the red string proverb from China. Touch extends this to all of humanity. String theorists also apply this to quantum physics.

Jake is the, mute, genius kid sidekick. And Martin shortly realizes that his autistic son, Jake, has been trying to send messages through numbers. In the pilot, the numbers 3:18 appear to be a date. This sets up a race against time.

Martin seeks guidance from Professor DeWitt who reveals certain meta-narrative truths to our seeker hero.

I Am Not Your Father

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: I Am Not Your Father

This is when, after years of oblivious adoption, someone reveals to the hero that his father is not his biological father. Below are some examples:

Smallville

Clark Kent has a father from another world.

Wolverine Origins

James Logan finds this out at a much younger age

Kung Fu Panda

Mr. Ping states the obvious. But it comes as a surprise to Po.

Hercules

After he smashes up the place, his adoptive father thinks it's time he knows the truth.

The Descendants

2012-01-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The Descendants

Alex Payne mixes humor and pain with this adaptation of KauiHemmings’s hit 2007 debute novel of the same name. Payne is known for this style of dramedy with films like About Schmidt.

What you realize with his films is that the things that make you cry are not what is sad but what is so much morebeautiful than you could have expected.

With The Descendants and About Schmidt, thesame tropes are in play: absentation, betrayal, and the road trip. Matt’s wifesuffers a boating accident that sends her into a coma.

This prompts Matt to goon the road with his daughters and deliver the message that Elizabeth's family andfriends should visit her in the hospital before she passes.

While on the trip, it is revealed to him that his wife mayhave been cheating on him. This creates a mystery box where we wonder if one ofher close friends will turn out to be her secret lover.

Jim Thompson once made a salient point about storytelling “thereis only one story – nothing is as it seems.” As this story unfolds, we see thattruer words were never spoken. The film peels back the surface layer of ‘seems’and shows us what ‘is.’

Hawaii becomes a metaphor for our ideas of paradise.Alex even reveals her real feelings about her mom in a whisper “I always wantedto be just like you.”

They save the final reveal between what ‘seems’ and what ‘is’for the very end. It's a classic sense of redemption and love.

Although the voice-overs have been overdone in screen adaptations, they manage to get rid of this oneabout an hour into the film.

While I personally like AboutSchmidt better, About Schmidt andThe Descendants would be great moviesto watch back to back.

This movie is not about solid plot structure, it isabout those human moments that actors love. George and Shailene carrythis movie in a very fresh and compelling style.

.

Rebirth

2012-01-18T06:18:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Rebirth

Chris Booker considered 'rebirth' as one of only seven story structures in existence. This has also been called repentance or the 'the heel face turn.'

This is when a villainous character sees the error of his ways before it is too late.

Here are several examples:

Darth Vader dies saving his son.

Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds.

Babe Bennet in Mr. Deeds.

Anton Ego (Food Critic ) in Ratatouille

Heather McNamara in Heathers

Emma (Hook) in Finding Neverland

The Seeker

2012-01-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The 'Mulder' Seeker

This is a character in film and television that believes in the idea of belief. They are willing to believe anything, if it will lead them to the ultimate truth. They are often seen as mystical and strange. Their gullibility lands them into trouble. They are often paired with skeptics for balance.

Agent Mulder: X-Files

He defines this trope. The only thing he ever hesitated believing was the Bible; later he did.

John Locke: Lost

His gullibility was very tragic indeed.

Jack: Lost

After tragedy hit Locke, Jack took up this tropism himself.

John: The Next Three Days

He himself references Don Quixote. He even refuses to believe Lara's confession.

Don Quixote

Probablly one of the oldest examples of this character.

The Magical Negro

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The Magical Negro

This was a positive stereotype set up by the film and television industry to fight the negative stereotypes about blacks being criminals. Or that blacks are the first ones to die.

The magical negro character type says black people can often dispense sound wisdom as a mentor. They can also possess magical powers that exist to help the 'normal' white hero.

Below are some examples:

Dell

That Thing You Do

Harry

The Adjustment Bureau

Lamar

That Thing You Do

Morpheus

Matrix

Bagger Vance

The Legend of Bagger Vance

John Coffey

The Green Mile

Cash

The Family Man

And then there's almost all of the Morgan Freeman movies.

This character type casting only becomes a problem when the EPs conclude that black people cannot successfully pull off the lead role as the Hero. This initially became a problem with Red Tails and Book of Eli.

The Great Debaters - The Judge is God

2012-01-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Denzel’s character, Melvin Tolson, plays a Christ Figure similar to that of the professor in Dead Poets Society. If anything, Melvins’ character was a strong

Jesus was a Radical

Almost in a Jesus and Nicodemus moment, Pastor Farmer meets with Melvin and they argue back and forth. Pastor Farmer warns him that he’ll, much like Christ, be hung on a tree/cross if he doesn’t cease his radical actions. Melvin’s response is “They’ll have to catch me first” and “Jesus was a radical.”

I dress like them so they can hear me….

As Melvin surreptitiously tries to organize a union to help blacks and whites, vigilantes raid the meeting. James, one if his disciples so-to-speak, bears witness to this. Like Jesus, Melvin tells James that he cannot tell anyone what he’s seen. When James asks him why he’s dressed like the farmers, Melvin says “I dress like them, so they can hear me – I’m not going to come in here dressed in my tuxedo.” That sounds familiar, like God coming in our likeness.

Disciples

Melvin was the teacher/rabbi and these kids were his disciples. The two boys were like the sons of thunder. There was even a scene where one kid learns of Melvin’s politics and turns away, just like what happens in John chapter 6:60-68 . Melvin asks if anyone else wants to leave and they say no.

There were many great quotes but my favorite quote stands as a reoccurring theme of the film:

Who is the judge?
The judge is God.
Why is he God?
Because he decides whether I win or lose, not my opponent.
Who is your opponent?
He doesn't exist.
Why does he not exist?
Because he is just a mere dissenting voice to the truth I speak.

Top 7 Myths about Screenwriting

2012-01-15T04:55:00.000-08:00

1. You have to be a famous and/or rich screenwriter in order to know how to write a good screenplay. This basically proves that you know what you're doing.

This one is probably the worst! Three of the most well paid teachers of scriptwriting have never written a successful Hollywood film script. McKee, Vogler and Seger.

Does this mean they don't know what makes a good script? No. Not only have these three taught at some of the best film schools and companies (AFI, USC, and Disney) but several award winning screenwriters say these teachers helped teach them how to write better stories.

Writers become famous and stay famous for several political reasons that have little to nothing to do with knowing how to tell a story. Fame does not equal storytelling competence. If you want the fame, read Micheal J. Wolf's The Entertainment Economy.

2. Write what you know.

This is a close second. It's called fiction because you're making it up; not because it's something you know.

Aaron Sorkin said he doesn't know about any of the stuff he writes about. He wrote about facebook and didn't have an account. This is a trend found in most of his work.

3. I need a unique idea.

90% of scripts are based on existing ideas that are doing well in some other form of entertainment. You don't need new ideas. Just combine two already existing ideas into one logline.

Jaws in Outerspace = Aliens.

Heat meets The Departed = The Town

4.My characters and dialogue need to be real and natural.

Real is boring! That's why people look to entertainment to entertain.

Scenes end while they are interesting... life keeps going even if you get bored.

People answer questions straightforwardly in reality. In films people answer questions in riddles, more questions and actions. People also interrupt and yell a lot.

In the real world you would avoid people like that because they are rude and annoying.

Characters are not people - they are characters. More specifically, they are types.

Heroes, Villains, Sidekicks, Mentors, Love interests etc.

The audience can identify with these types because everyone has a piece of each type within them. People are way more complicated than characters on the screen.

5. I can't write. I'm not a writer.

Read Art and Fear. Also read Walter R. Fisher's Human Communication as Narration.

You could look at the above statement as a conclusion and then ask yourself, how did I come to that conclusion? And there's a story in there.

Take your thoughts about "not being able to write" and write that down. Wala! You're a writer. Set up an intro (I need to finish this paper, song, script etc) Write the outro (I finish the piece or I don't because of a sacrifice, restoration or shocking twist)

Then tie those two ends together with a love triangle, ticking time bomb, deep secret you're afraid to get out, and a race against your enemy for a prize and you have your story. (Or the script As Good As it Gets)

6. It's virtually impossible to sell my script.

If you move to LA and become part of the Hollywood community, after 10 years you'll be surprised at how many opportunities will come your way. There are several other ways. It won't happen over night though.

7. Film school is a waste... Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach or go to film school.

The man who initially said this went on to teach and lecture. He also funded a school. He also said that education is the sole salvation of a society. Years later, he finally "did." He made an academy award winning screenplay that was about a teacher teaching.

It was called Pygmallion and his name was George Bernard Shaw.

Prophecy Twist

2012-01-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The Prophecy Twist

This is when the prophecy comes true but they never mean what you thought they did. This is often because the second half is too encrypted or poetic to interpret properly. It could also be so literal that people read too much into it.

Below are some examples... Spoiler Alert!

Minority Report

The Pre-cogs see a future murder but it was staged.

This also happens in an episode of Dead Zone

12 Monkeys

The army of 12 monkeys did not release the outbreak virus, just some animals at a zoo.

Pirates of the Caribbean:
On Stranger Tides

If the mermaids kiss you, you wont drown. This is literal. You won't drown because you'll be eaten by them.

Flash Forward

The visions of the future always happened. BUT there are parallel worlds so you could have a vision of yourself in a world other than your own. Deep stuff.

I Am Legend

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: I Am Legend

The structure follows the usual 4 pronged Hollywood approach of Orphan, Wanderer, Warrior, Martyr. This particular film uses the zombie vampire fad to tell this meta-narrative.

click to enlarge

What I enjoyed the most was at the end where the hero begins to 'listen' to God, see the signs, and sacrifice his life to save people who are literally and metaphorically the walking dead.

He finds the cure in the blood and martyrs himself for the good of mankind. "light of the darkness"

Red Tails

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Red Tails

Lucas talks about certain racial hegemonic structures in Hollywood. This film was meant to come out 22 years ago but, due to similar stereotypes found in the Book of Eli production, it's release date was held up.

See the interview below.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Nonhuman Sidekick

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Non-human Sidekick

It's good for the hero to have a sidekick. It fulfills an emotive signifier in universal story-telling.

What about those stories where he needs to be by himself? what if no other humans can go with him on this journey? Enter the non-human sidekick.

Below are some examples:

Remember Kitt from Knight Rider?

Wilson

From Cast Away

Sam

From I Am Legend

The Silent Antagonist

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The Silent Antagonist

One way to deal with dialogue is to just stay silent.

"silence is the loudest sound but it is all internal" N.W. Refn

For example, the silent antagonist could become creepier when they say nothing.

Here are some examples:

The Thin Man

He's from Charlie's Angels

Darth Maul

He's From Star Wars (he only spoke a couple of times)

Rinzler

He's From Tron Legacy

Scarface vs. Goodfellas

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Scarface vs. Goodfellas

In Hollywood, they love retelling the same story in different situations. This is called Grand Narrative or Meta-narrative storytelling. For example, there are several parallels between Scarface and Goodfellas.

The main characters (Henry and Tony) leave home and join a crew of baddies.

They both get shady mentoring (Jimmy and Frank).

The interdiction (rule number one) is broken. With Goodfellas it's 'don't kill the Made guy' and with Scarface it's 'fly low and stay under the radar.'

It looks like they've gotten away with breaking the rule but after a while, everything begins to fall apart.

People start lying, fighting, and getting arrested. Because of jail sentences and potential jail time people begin turning on the main characters.

Paul and Jimmy turn on Henry.

Sosa turns on Tony.

Hugo

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Hugo

This film has been called 'magical' and 'the best 3D cinematography ever.' And this is coming from James 'Avatar' Cameron of all people.

The structure is simple enough, starting with an orphan/absentation set up. Scorsese talks through Rene about the importance of restoring older films. And a protagonist decoy is ultimately revealed.

We think it is about the kid, Hugo, but in the end George turns out to be Georges Melies the man who has inspired the film-making industry for years and now continues to inspire filmmakers today.

We see this kind of plot twist in The Iron Monkey, Saving Private Ryan, and to a lesser extent the first Godfather film.

Not only has this film been called magical but is has also been called a 'religious' experience.

One reviewer said 'life is as beautiful as a movie. One's life is a movie. Directed by God. And God is a director whose story of the world possesses no excess scenes, no extra characters, and no unnecessary detail."

Waking Up

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Waking Up Somewhere

This is a popular plot twist used to launch a story or create future mystery boxes in the story-line. Something bad happens and we cut to black. Time passes as the character was knocked unconscious by an accident or ingesting too many drugs.

When they wake up, they are somewhere else like a hospital, prison, or the kidnapper's lair. At this point a lot of the story is spent trying to piece together what's happened to them.

When waking up, they usually receive bad news.

This happens several times in Knight and Day.

The first scene of Lost is Jack 'waking up' somewhere else.

Dorothy wakes up and realizes she's 'not in Kansas anymore.'

This is the main plot for the Hangover and the Hangover 2.

We see this in Journey 2.

This also happens in John Carter.

This is also popular in spy films like The Bourne Identity and Unknown.

The whole theme of 'waking up' can also touch on philosophical and theological theories of reality and illusion.

Interdiction

2012-01-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Interdiction

Vladimir Propp named this plot point. It goes by several other names too: The forbidden door, Rule number 1-3, don't touch that, the set up, etc.

Someone tells the hero or reckless sidekick not to break this rule. Sometimes the hero makes the rules and explains them. But eventually someone breaks the rule, causing everything to fall apart.

Remember The Gremlins?

Rule number 1 no bright lights, Rule no. 2 keep them away from water, Rule no. 3 never ever feed them after midnight.

The Transporter

Rule no. 1 never change the deal, Rule no. 2 no names, Rule no. 3 never open the package.

Drive

The driver lists his rules at the beginning of the film.

Karate Kid 2

Rule no. 1 karate for defense only, Rule no. 2 always remember rule number one.

Casablanca vs. When Harry Met Sally

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

Casablanca vs. When Harry Met Sally

There's probably several good reasons why the film When Harry Met Sally references Casablanca. One reason is because in Hollywood they love retelling the same story in a slightly different context. This is called meta-narrative story-telling.

There are several parallels between these two classic romance films.

In both films, the couples meet briefly and then meet again years later, but now one is married.

In Casablanca it is Ilsa. In When Harry Met Sally it is Harry.

In both films, the single ones (Rick and Sally) try to get over the married one (Ilsa and Harry) but they become extremely friendly with each other.

Next, the girls (Ilsa and Sally) try to pretend that they don't care about the guys (Rick and Harry).

In the end, they stop the cat and mouse game and confess their secret love for each other.

Persistence

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Persistence

In the screenwriting world there is no such thing as an overnight success. But there is one common element to all screenwriters... persistence. "The only element I find common to all successful writers is persistence" - S. Burnham

It has been said that the average time it takes to 'break in' is 10-15 years. Here are some examples.

"I graduated from NYU

and it took 11 years to break in"

- C. Kaufman

He wrote

Eternal Sunshine for the Spotless Mind.

Ben Ripley graduated film

school in 1995 and his

first theatrical release was in 2011.

He wrote Source Code.

He's contracted to write a reboot of Flatliners.

"I spent 20 years on my script" - John Orloff

He's talking about the script Anonymous.

He's contracted to write

the movie Battlestar Galatica.

Jason Keller moved to

LA in 89 but it took

him a decade to 'break in.'

He wrote Machine Gun Preacher.

He also wrote Mirror Mirror

Fenjevs took 10 years to get
Man on a Ledge made.
He's 58 and says that "he's peaking."

Micheal Arndt took ten years to 'break in'

He wrote Little Miss Sunshine
He also wrote Toy Story 3

So keep moving forward.

"People want you to

think it is impossible.

It is NOT impossible" - Drew Goddard

Drew wrote for Lost and the movie adaptation of Robopocalypse.

Rivalry of Kinsmen

2012-01-02T04:45:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Rivalry of Kinsmen

Back in the 1800s, Polti collected the 36 most dramatic situations seen in storytelling. They are still very relevant story structures for film and television. One of these situations is the rivalry of kinsman.

This structure revolves around 2 or 3 people and one object. There is the preferred kinsman the rejected kinsman and the object they are competing for. This nebulous object is usually called a macguffin.

Here are some examples of rivalry between brothers:

Optimus Prime and Megatron

Yes, they say they are brothers.

Manito and Ceaser

Desperado

Micheal and Fredo

The Second Godfather

Ray and his Brother

Everybody Loves Raymond

As you see, it can be comical too.

Toy Stories

2011-12-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Toy Stories

To paraphrase Howard Aiken, don't worry about someone taking your original idea. they don't really want your original ideas, they want different versions of the same story.

The term for this is meta-narrative. There are thousands of examples but below is an example of two classic Christmas films: the Christmas Toy and Toy Story. While Toy Story has several other influences, there happens to be some interesting narrative parallels between these films.

Star toy uncomfortable sharing the spotlight.

Meterora vs. Buzz Lightyear - The new spaced-themed toy soon to become the new favorite.

Mew vs. Slinky Dog - The favorite toy's loyal companion willing to risk life and limb.

Apple vs. Jesse - The once loved, now forgotten toy.

Barbie vs. Barbie nuff said.

Kid Sidekicks

2011-12-23T04:13:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Kid Sidekicks

One way to help younger audiences identify with the hero is to give them a kid sidekick. These kids can be kid geniuses. They have also been known to operate as a moral compass for the hero.

Lex

Jurassic Park

Short Round

Indie and the Temple of Doom

Joey

He was a kid sidekick to Shane to some extent

Russle

Pirates vs. Ghost of Monkey Island

2011-12-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables:
Pirates vs. Ghost of Monkey Island

To paraphrase Howard Aiken, don't worry about someone taking your 'original' idea. They don't really want original ideas, they want different versions of the same story.

Look at the situational parallels in the first Pirates of the Caribbean and the story The Ghost of Monkey Island.

They both have bumbling swashbucklers seeking to rescue the woman they love.

In Pirates, she's the Governor's daughter.

In Ghost, she's the Governor.

Both women are captured by an undead pirate and his skeleton crew.

Both stories also involve swamps...

voodoo, and zombies.

You can find more of these parallels under the film geek link or the grand narrative link.

A Social Network Christmas

2011-12-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

What if they
had facebook during the first Christmas?

The How and Why of Suspense

2011-12-15T10:00:00.000-08:00

What is Suspense

Schmidt defines suspense as a technique that plays off how the audience knows more than the characters on the screen. [i]

[i] Kaare Schmidt, Film-Historie, Kunst, Industri (Denmark: Gyldendal, 1995), 143.

Schepelern goes into more detail about how to describe suspense but an attenuated version of his thoughts can be exemplified in one of three ways: keeping secrets, a race against time, or a chase. [i]

[i] Peter Schepelern, Filmleksikon (Denmark: Gyldendals Bogklub, 1995), 495.

Keeping Secrets

Chloe keeps Clark's secret but she also keeps Lana's and some others. She even keeps secrets from Clark.

We see in 24 that keeping secrets can result in figurative or literal torture.

Race Against Time

The villain's plot is time sensitive. It will only succeed at one singular moment in time. The hero has until that moment to stop the villain. Hero usually manages to stop him at the last possible second.

The Chase

This happens in almost every film at some point. Someone yells "After him!" The hero or villain is then chased.

Here are a few kinds.

Elevator Snare.

The person being chased ducks
into the elevator just in time for it to close on the chaser..

Climbing Climax.

We see this with Sam in Transformers 3. He races to the building top.

Crowd Hockey.

We see this in
Rush Hour 2 with the detonator.

Race

This means that you and your enemy are after the same thing. It is located in place x and you have to get there before they do or else!

This race could also be a race from your enemy. This means you already had or just received the prize (or mcguffin) he wants and the only way for them to get it is to kill you or find you and take it before you reach your ultimate safe place

Now the why of suspense

I’ve outlined how to create suspense but why is suspense so compelling?

What suspense does is dangle “the possibility of a morally undesirable outcome” in front of you. [i]

[i] Noel Carroll, Theorizing the Moving Image (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996), 112.

It’s a thrill and the audience watches and wonders what will happen.

That explains the first viewing but why would this be enough to compel someone to watch a film, television show or read a novel for a second time? Carroll calls this anomalous suspense. He suggests that the mind engages in imagination and entertains the thought of this battle between morality and probability.

Zenon Pylyshyn calls this early vision. [i]

[i] Zenon W. Pylyshyn, Seeing and Visualizing: It’s Not What You Think (Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003), 90.

Levitin, author of This is Your Brain on Music¸ attributes the phenomenon to a low-level modular process in the brain. [i]

[i] Daniel J. Levitin, This is Your Brain on Music (New York: Dutton, 2006), 102.

So those are some scientific explanations but there’s a biblical way to look at this too; this is what I talk about in my book Holy Subtext. It touches on the “morally undesirable outcome” that Carroll mentions.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says we have eternity written on our hearts. All of mankind has hopes and fears about the outcome of our lives. On very low levels, in every moment of our lives, we wonder how life will end and the suspense found in films visually mirror the hopes and fears we entertain in our minds all the time.

Sudden Revelation

2011-12-12T07:47:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Sudden Revelation

All films either end with sacrifice, restoration, or revelation.

In film and television sudden revelation has also been called a tomato surprise. At the end of a story, an important detail is revealed to the audience. Up until that point it had been deliberately hidden. SPOILER ALERT. There are some examples below:

Locke: Lost

He was always sitting down in the 'Walkabout' episode. Then bam! We see why at the end.

Sawyer: Lost

He was always rehearsing that letter as if it were written to him. Then bam! We find out who really wrote it.

Kint: The Usual Suspects

He gets immunity from the cops if he can tell them about Soze. Then bam! As he leaves the precinct, they realize that he is Soze.

Eli: The Book of Eli

He was blind the whole time. The Bible he was protecting was... bam!... in braille. He never attacks a person that didn't attack first and he could smell people a mile away. His abilities were also heightened because of his walk with God.

Shutter Island

The detective investigating the nut house was really an inmate in the nuthouse himself.

Unreliable Narrator

2011-12-11T18:35:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Unreliable Narrator

We usually trust the apparent all-knowing voice over, this is how it went down, narration that starts off a film or TV show. But voice overs have been done and overdone. The unreliable narrator creates built-in plot twists.

You're being led in one direction but this narrator is full of contradictions and half-truths. Below are some examples.

The Social Network

The Social Network has a Rashomon style where we see the story told, through varying perspectives, all with their own agendas.

The Wonder Years

Kevin's Older Self misdirects us, through narration, in almost every episode.

Fight Club

The narrator has a split personality.

Memento

This narrator has a serious memory loss problem. He can't rely on his own thoughts.

Tin Man Syndrome

2011-12-08T05:58:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Tin Man Syndrome

Several films play with the concept of humanity and machinery. Can machines love?

Some even use this theme as a plot device. Quite a ways into the story, the character usually looks at a reflection of himself, and realizes "Wait a minute. I'm not human?"

They have shown so much heart only to find out that they are a machine.

Below are some examples.

Blade Runner

Deckard... man or machine?

Ridley Scott says,

in his film, Deckard
realizes he is a machine.

Dick's original story simply plays with the meaning of humanity.

PKD says "In Deck's job of killing replicants, Deck becomes dehumanized and the replicants become more human. In the end Deck begins to wonder what is the real difference between man and machine..."

Toy Story

Buzz thinks he's human

until he sees himself
on TV as a Mechanical Toy.

Terminator: Salvation

Marcus thinks he's

human. Later,
he realizes he's become a machine.

Young Adult

2011-12-07T13:45:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Young Adult

Mavis is your classic anti-hero who is sort of reborn in the last 20 minutes of the film. Mavis and her sidekick Matt embark on an impossible mission.

She returns home to rekindle her relationship with her old high school crush, Buddy.

Both Mavis and Matt have coming of age moments near the end as they attempt to move on from their high school days.

Perhaps Cody made Mavis too much of an anti-hero and perhaps she could have brought in more save the cat moments at the beginning. With Juno there was the innocent baby inside of her. Once she decided not to abort it, we had all the save the cat we would need from her.

Mavis, a 37 year old drinking machine bent on splitting up a marriage, does not quite resonate in the same way as Juno did. Theron's performance carries this film.

If you like Theron and reminiscing on high school days, with clever Cody commentary, then this might be your cup of tea for the holidays.

Sci - Fi Predictions

2011-12-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

Sci-Fi Predictions

The iPad

Throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation, touch-based control panels called PADDs (personal access display devices) were frequently used by crew members. They resemble the tablet-like computers of today.According to Ars Technica , PADDs were partly a reflection of a constricted budget.

No actual code was written for the devices in Star Trek, but CBS Interactive created an iPad app that mimicks its interface. (to read the rest of this article go here)

Sky Net

Sky Net has not become self-aware but...

A team from the Stevens Institute of Technology is developing an aerial drone and calling it SkyNET. A Linux box, strapped to a Parrot A.R. Drone, can fly within range of your home wireless network and electronically attack it from the air.

Whilst internet-only attacks are traceable to some extent, drone attacks are difficult to detect until it's too late. The team is working on refining the technology to make it cheaper than the $600 it currently costs. (to read the rest of this artcile go here).

UI Design

Underkoffler is currently

designing technology seen in Minority Report

and Iron Man 2.

Secretly Dying

2011-12-05T09:11:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Secretly Dying

A character knows his days are numbered and tries to keep it under wraps. This could be to protect their friends from the bad news; they may want to spend their last days seeing them happy instead of sad.

He may also want to keep his enemies from having a morale boost or competitive advantage where they feel they can just wait the hero out. Below are some examples... Spoiler Alert.

Man on Fire

Creasy is secretly dying.

Prison Break

Charles is secretly
dying at the end of season 2.

Iron Man 2

Tony Stark is secretly dying.

Prison Break

Micheal is secretly dying twice.

But, in his sacrifice, he frees his people.

Joe vs. the Volcano

This has a double twist at the end.

But Joe believes that he's secretly dying.

Wesley Snipes in Airplanes

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

Anytime we see Wesley Snipes in an Airplane, there will be trouble.

Passenger 57

In 1992, a Terrorist High-jacks the plane he is on.

Drop Zone

In 1994, another terrorist high-jacks the plane he is on and blows a hole in the plane.

U.S. Marshals (a.k.a. The Fugitive 2)

In 1998, Snipes stops an assassin on yet another plane. This forces the plane into a crash landing.

The Film Judas

2011-12-02T10:46:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: The Film Judas

In films, heroes commonly have a team they work with. Like Jesus and his group, they work towards fighting evil. And often there's that one person that seems a little sketch. It becomes obvious that he'll betray the group if he ever gets a chance.

Here are some examples:

Cypher from the Matrix

He Betrays Neo

Ephialtes from 300

He betrays King Leonidas

Harry Osborne from Spider-man

He betrays Peter Parker/Spidey

Magneto in X-Men: First Class

He betrays Charles Xavier

The Beggar and The Hero

2011-11-30T12:38:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables:

The Beggar and The Reluctant Hero

One of the dramatic situations mentioned by Polti is that of 'the Beggar.'

Usually someone is being persecuted and they come to another power figure, begging for help.

The hero in this situation is reluctant as to whether they should get involved or not. Some examples are the following:

Gladiator

Maximus just wants to go home and live a normal life with his family, even though he is offered the Emperor's Throne.

Hereafter

Lonegan has supernatural powers but he wishes to work a normal blue collar job.

Children of Men

The last pregnant woman, a refugee, begs Theo Faron for protection against powerful enemies.

Juno

2011-11-29T02:53:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Adoption

This film won the academy award for best original screenplay in 2007.

Screenwriter Brook Busey started as a blogger; then, a hollywood producer named Mason Novick suggested that she try her hand at writing screenplays. What sold her was the idea that she could hang out all day and eat.

It only took her 2 months to write Juno. Her 2011 film was Young Adult.

Although Busey use to work as a stripper, she does have a degree in media studies. She also claims to have been incompetent at every job other than writing.

Juno has great dialogue and characters but the plot did not create a tight structure for these characters to have fun.

They eventually had to cut several scenes at the beginning of the script because of this.

Even with those cuts, the story didn't really take off until Juno tells her parents she's pregnant.

The entire film hangs on two pivotal points: the meeting between Juno and the foster parents and the scene in the basement. The contrasting image of a pregnant misfit and two uptight yuppies served as the imaginative catalyst for the story.

This story had the rare combination of being both inventive and real.

Busey says the story was not intended to be a social issue peice. Like most films, it started as a personal story; later Busey discovered that it could also speak on contraversial issues: abortion, adoption, and parenting.

That being said, it is one of the most honest and funny portrayls of serveral deep and spiritual issues like relationships, love and the value of life.
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Super 8 and other Super Movies on DVD

2011-11-28T05:29:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Superhero Mashup

This summer, superhero movies were everywhere. This is a quick overview of the ones that came out in June 2011 alone…

X-Men First Class

What has always set the X-Men apart from the other super heroes is the underlying theme of their stories: belonging. Instead of ‘I think therefore I am’ the X-Men stories teach ‘I belong therefore I am.’

These comics were first introduced to the world by Stan Lee in the 60s as a parable about racism and prejudice. The X-Men were humans that were born different and they were hated for their differences.

Magneto would be your Malcolm X while Professor X would be your MLK Jr.

Some have compared their comics to that of DC's Doom Patrol.

They even had a similar pitch.

These X-Men comics have always been ‘first class’ because this is always a timely human condition.

Green Lantern

This film was in development hell for years. The Green Lantern was finally 'green lit' after the successful origin comic book story Batman Begins. This film is very similar to most super hero origin films: Iron Man, Batman Begins, Star Trek, Tron Legacy.

You have this young cocky know it all, in his thirties, with daddy issues and an unbelievable destiny thrust upon him. Through proper mentorship, he becomes a self-sacrificial champion of justice.

Super 8

JJ Abrams and Spielberg do it again. This film manages to incorporate the successful elements of Spielberg’s E.T. and Abram’s LOST: magic and mystery. Like LOST the power of the story is in the unknown that is just around the corner. JJ Abrams credits his use of mystery to Spielberg’s use of it in JAWS, where he mixes mystery and dramatic domestic relationships.

Transformers: The Dark Moon

In the Transformers scenario, the aliens invading are always machines. In many alien films, the aliens are similar to what we have classically called angels and demons engaged in an apocalyptic battle where humans are usually caught in the middle. The third installment is no different.
.

The Adjustment Bureau

2011-11-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Destiny

George Nolfi, writer of Bourne Ultimatum, teams up with Matt Damon again in The Adjustment Bureau.

The Adjustment Bureau is a romantic science fiction thriller that first premiered in the Ziegfeld Theater on February 14, 2011.

David Norris (Matt Damon) is a United States Congressman on the verge of national and political stardom until he meets Elise Sallas (Emily Blunt). Forces or fates continue to separate them but somehow Norris stumbles on this truth and begins to fight against his ‘predetermined fate.’

The film is based on the Philip K. Dick short story, Adjustment Team. This is just one of several films based on Dick’s short stories. Others include: Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck, and A Scanner Darkly.

Often times this “fictional philosopher” wrote parables about metaphysics and theology. Other than the 2011 royalties lawsuit, his latest adapted work is no different.

The Adjustment Bureau heavily deals with the issues of predestination, free will and the power of love. These are issues that Christians have been grappling with since the inception of Christendom.

Some theologians have rested with saying that we are free to do what we want, what we want predetermines what we do and perhaps there is an adjustment bureau working on our desires.

Dick’s thoughts on ‘parallel worlds’ touches on an older Christian parable written by Abbott called Flatland. Perhaps Abbott, Dick and the latest film The Adjustment Bureau are right to suggest that the full answers to these questions may exist in another dimension (just behind a curtain) that we are unable to see..

Rocky vs. Blade Runner

2011-11-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Rocky Vs. Blade Runner

Rocky is a down and out boxer. Deckard is a down and out Blade Runner.

The manager insists that Rocky accept the offer to fight Apollo. Bryant insists that Deckard accept the offer to hunt Replicants.

They represent what is known as the unwilling hero or the beggar and the reluctant hero.

They both meet and get to know a girl (Adrian and Rachel). And they eventually get the girl to come to their apartment.

After both main characters get into fights (Rock with Paulie and Deck with Leon) their girls move in with them.

In the end, Rock and Deck have a final showdown (Rock with Apollo and Deck with Roy).

After their showdown, Rocky admits his love for Adrian. And Deck admits his love for Rachel.

Smoke Signals

2011-11-24T03:48:00.000-08:00

Victor, a young Native American boy, is asked by his parents “who is your favorite Indian?” His response is “nobody.” They think he is kidding; they hope he would at least say his father is his favorite Indian. After asking him a couple more times he yells “NOBODY!”

When he grows up he feels that no one can be trusted and carries the hopelessness and bitterness of a displaced people. This film ultimately becomes a journey film where two Native Americans try to overcome generations of displacement by placing their hope in a better tomorrow.

Themes and Images

Fire and Ash. The film opens and closes with fire and ash. Thomas, Victor’s nerdy friend, says they were both born from fire and ash. I feel the need to re-watch this film with more understanding of the four elements because I do not think that I have fully grasped the symbolism of fire and ash in this film.

The fire and the ash imagery represents their heritage but in a very real sense it also represents Victor’s Father, Arnold. It is Arnold who burned the house down to ash. He hit Victor at times but one time he saved Thomas from a fire which gave them different ideas about Arnold and subsequently their heritage. They are also headed on this journey to retrieve Joseph’s ashes.

The Road. The “how long will it take till we get there” scene encapsulated the Native American plight.

Thomas appeared to be rambling but he actually gave us a spark notes version of Native American history and ended it with Arnold. Great scene! Director Chris Eyre uses the road movie genre magnificently. The Road movie only requires one goal and permits poetic scenes like this to symbolize a generation at a crossroads.

Phoenix. Their journey ends at Phoenix, Arizona. Due to the fire and ash imagery, I cannot help but think that this film also alludes to the mythical Phoenix bird as they come to retrieve Joseph’s ashes. The myth originates from Egypt and tells about how an eagle like bird burns into ash and is reborn every 500 years or so…

The Phoenix crest shows a bird surrounded by fire but unharmed. The Phoenix woman matches this image when she sets Joseph’s place on fire; she’s surrounded by flames but unharmed. This cross cuts with Victor on the bridge; out of Joseph’s ashes Victor is reborn.

Forgiveness

When Victor throws the ashes off the bridge and into the river, he not only lets out a primal scream but he also lets out all the bitterness and hopelessness he carried with him since he was a child. The last line of the movie is Thomas asking “if we forgive our fathers, what is left?”

Like the road scene, Thomas poetically asks a general question about forgiving the atrocities perpetrated on the Native Americans by past generations.

If you put the questions together they sound even more poetic: “if we forgive our fathers, what is left… how long… till we get there?”

How 2 Make An Indie Film

2011-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

So what do you do when you have non-professional actors and no budget? You embrace the docudrama/neo-realist film making philosophy. When you cannot afford special effects and fancy cameras, you don’t strain your budget.

You make minimalism your special effect and you blur the lines between fiction and reality. For a church film, I would suggest a mission’s docudrama; perhaps even in black and white.

Above is a lengthy discussion about possible avenues for indie film distribution, but let's explore the philosophy behind producing docu-dramas in this hybrid genre of neo-realism.

Pre-Production and Neo-Realism

Rossellini, the father of the Italian Neo-Realist movement, had no intentions of creating a movement. He essentially said this all came about from not having enough money to do anything else. This makes pre-production less complicated for independent filmmakers.

Behind all the rhetorical tropes, neo-realism amounts to shooting on location, and re-writing the script to fit the real people/non-commercial actors that are available. In many ways the script is 50% staged and 50% improvisation, this culminates with a very intense sense of reality on the screen.

When Roberto Rossellini released his early film Open City, people were saying how realistic it looked; hence the term Neo-Realism.

James Agee, a reviewer for The Nation at the time responded by saying that he was “so overwhelmed by Open City that he was incapable of reviewing it” (Brunette 34).

Andre Bazin, film theorist, was a huge fan of neo-realism and Rossellini in particular. He says that “Rossellini directs facts” (Brunette 35).

Bazin was also a huge fan of DeSica’s Bicycle Thieves. Bazin calls this “one of the first examples of pure cinema” (Brunette 34). The goal, according to Bazin, is to achieve the totality of life by looking at its simplicity (Brunette 36).

Rossellini was able to bring reality back to the entertainment world at a time where the films were getting bigger and more fantastic. Instead of escaping reality, Rossellini made us face it.

Instead of flooding us with stunning set designs and special effects, they gave us “fragments of reality” and invited us to take part in piecing the meaning together.

At the time of the war, Rossellini believed there was a desperate desire for truth in film. This is why he attributed a moral position to his filmmaking. No one was reporting what was really happening during the war and he wanted people to know. He used film narrative to expose this truth.

There were dramatic stories really happening all around him and he wanted to capture them. It is arguable that films like Reality Bites, The Hurt Locker and Precious could fit within a neo-realist hybrid.

Bazin argued for true continuity: deep focus, wide shots and a lack of montage. This would leave the interpretation of a scene to the audience member.

The present-day neo-realist does not necessarily uphold to all of these somewhat obsolete standards of objectivity, but the current docudrama approach does strongly encourage a similar interpretation on the behalf of the spectator.

One of the best parts of Richard Linklater’s film Waking Life is when the main character is watching a film where filmmaker Caveh Zahedi and poet David Jewell discuss Bazin’s theory on realism.

They highlight Bazin’s Christian belief that every shot is a representation of God manifesting creation. So we are essentially watching a movie within a movie that is talking about film theory.

What is even more eye opening is when they employ his aforementioned theories, saying “let’s have a Holy Moment.” What follows is a very creative quest for an elusive filmic aspiration to capture the truth.

Production – Successful Examples

I would suggest that christian filmmakers employ these 'Holy Moments' in a neo-realist film about missionary work. The location would depend on the cast and location of the church. I would borrow from the documentary style of the film Invisible Children but make sure the film is more staged with suspense and a climactic ending.

Some argue that fiction cinema has embraced, more than ever, non-fiction aesthetics. Several filmmakers are simplifying there film language. What “we have seen in recent years…has been a narrowing of the gap between the languages of documentary and fiction” (Vaughn 64).

Blair Witch Project

Myrick and Sanchez’s The Blair Witch Project, released in 1999, is one of the most well known hybrid successes. It artificially vacillates between art and life. One of the techniques for your film would be using the properties of something like a Hi8 (shaky cam).

This technique, like the original neo-realists, creates fragments of reality and invites the audience to peace them together. For example: shaky cam jerks the subjects in and out of the frames, shifts focus in and out, and uses long continuous handheld shots. This style relies heavily on immediacy and intimacy.

In This World

Michael Winterbottom made a film on an immigrant’s road trip called In This World (2002). This style “could have never been made with more conventional cumbersome equipment” (Landesman 15).

They took one digital camera, using portability and the journey setting. Although half of the film was staged, the street scenes, crowds and marketplaces were not staged.

The visual effects of the real helped to draw us into the scripted journey and human drama that was at the heart of the film. It then reverts to documentary mode at the end by using title cards.

Five

Kiarostami, director of Five, takes five long takes to make his film. This film makes use of the long takes that Bazin identified as part of the neo-realist movement.

There were several “holy moments” where director Kiarostami captures fifteen minutes or so of the ocean or the moon in a pond.

He captured these moments at the end of the shots because what they were “really attempting was not to invent a story that looks like reality, but to present reality as if it were a story” (Zavattini 103). Kiarostami continues to avoid complicated plot structure and unnecessary artifices in the film Ten.

Dogme 95

The Dogme 95 group consists of several people including: Thomas Vinterberg, Lars von Trier, and Kristen Levring. This group sparked neo-realist filmmaking in several impoverished locations. This was a return to the natural feel of filmmaking.

Trier directed The Idiots. This film is considered “the most fully developed and compelling expression of Dogme ideology” (Walters 40). The Idiots not only subverts big budget Hollywood filmmaking, but it also calls into question documentary filmmaking.

The opening scene draws you into this conflation immediately… “…the opening sequence of the film, where a handheld camera evokes an impression of a direct-cinema documentary style by jittering chaotically around a group of young people picking annoyingly on diners in a small restaurant. There are no opening credits or any solid hints to the nature of what we are watching” (Landesman 26).

Ford Transit

Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad directed a hybrid film called Ford Transit (2003).

Using a 16mm camera, Abu-Assad tells the story of a Palestinian transit driver named Rajai. Rajai must transport locals through military check points in Ford minivan.

While keeping the camera mounted on the car for the majority of the film, Abu-Assad also manages to keep the tension at an all time high. In 2003, this film won the Best Documentary Award at the Jerusalem Film Festival.

When Abu – Assad’s film was accused of being fraudulent he responded by saying his film is both a documentary and a fiction. He claims that his film is “100% fiction and 100% documentary” (Ramsey 2003).

Like the film Precious, this film could have happened and did happen. Just because the events we’re watching may be acted out does not mean that they are fictitious (Jones 33).

Williams writes:

“The contradictions are rich: on the one hand the postmodern deluge of image seems to suggest that there can be no a priori truth of the referent to which the image refers; on the other hand, in this same deluge, it is still the moving image that has the power to move audiences to a new appreciation of previously unknown truth” (Landesman 60).

Work Cited

Bazin, Andre. What is Cinema? vol. 2. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1971. Print.

Brunette, Peter. “Rossellini and Cinematic.” Cinema Journal 25.1 (Autumn 1985): 34-49. Print.

Harcourt, Peter. “What, Indeed, Is Cinema?” Cinema Journal 8.1 (Autumn 1968): 22-28. Print.

Jones, Kent. “I Walk the Line: Hybrid Cinema.” Film Comment 41.1 (Jan/Feb 2005): 30-33. Print.

Landesman, Ohad. In and Out of This World. New York: Manchester University Press, 2005.

Lipkin, Steven. Real Emotional Logic. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2002. Print.

Ramsey, Nancy. “Drama Finds a Palestinian Film-maker.” New York Times, June 12,
2003. E 1.web Mar. 10, 2010.

Vaughan, Dai. For Documentary: Twelve Essays. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999. Print.

Walters, Tim. “Reconsidering The Idiots: Dogme 95, Lars von Trier, and the Cinema of Subversion.” The Velvet Light Trap 53(Spring 2004): 40-54. Print.

Zavattini, Cesare. Neorealismo. Milan: Bompiani, 1979. Print.

Heart of Darkness: Dir. Fax Bahr. American Zoetrope, 1991. DVD.

Slumdog Millionaire vs. The Godfather

2011-11-13T13:43:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Slumdog vs. The Godfather

To paraphrase Howard Aiken, don't worry about someone stealing your 'original' idea. They don't really want original ideas, they want different versions of the same story.

Look at the situational parallels between Slumdog Millionaire and The Godfather.

Michael's happy life with Kay ends because of The Don's assassination attempt.

Jamal's happy life at home ends because mom is murdered.

While with the family, Micheal encounters and overcomes Sollozzo. While in the slum, Jamal encounters and overcomes Maman.

They are both forced to leave. Michael travels Sicily. Jamal travels India.

The rival families eventually kill Sonny. Michael marries Apollonia.

The rival Salim eventually kills Maman.

Jamal finds Latika.

The Don makes a temporary peace with the other Families and Salim makes a temporary peace with Javed.

Michael and Jamal try to go legitimate. Michael in Vegas and Jamal in Call Centre.

Then Tessie betrays Michael and Salim betrays Jamal.

In the end, it is Michael and Salim that settle all family business.

This involves Micheal killing Carlo

...and Salim killing Javed.

Because of this lead character choice, Michael and Kay do not live happily ever after.

...but, because Salim does the dirty work, Jamal and Latika do live happily ever after. You can find more of these kinds of parallels on the grand narrative link.

J. Edgar

2011-11-12T12:12:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: J. Edgar

THE ENIGMA

Hoover is an enigma.

He proposes in a library? He’s so obsessed with RFK’s fireplace that he has to get an exact replica of it in his own office?

How do you capture such an enigma?

Any film that tries to focus on his character as the lead role runs this risk of obfuscation. With enigmatic-dramatic situations we need a seeker, an interrogator, and a problem. Because the Hoover character is all three, nothing is really cleared up in the film.

There are no arc words in this film like “Rosebud’ to bring us to a wow moment. But there could have been.

Perhaps a Sophie’s Choice structure would have helped this film. Bring in another character, one that we can identify with, into this bizarre world which is J. Edgar.

Have this character depart with a wiser perspective. Maybe that character still fails to see the big picture BUT it can be revealed to the audience.

CRIMES OF LOVE

What about his ‘broke-back’ relationship with Clyde, the wrestling, and the kiss? This, and an Annie scene, appears to be a strong through-line with the film. We see it clearly in the scene where Hoover is listening to the MLK Jr. tapes.

The fear of being exposed for his personal “crimes of love” becomes the driving force for his political investigations into other people’s violations of similar social codes. People that are hurting - hurt others.

Overall there was a good use of the memoirs to jump through time and show the duality of Hoover. While Eastwood has done better, this is another decent Clint movie.

1 Dialogue, 2 Conversations

2011-11-11T07:07:00.001-08:00

Popcorn Parables: 1 Dialogue 2 Conversations

This is when two characters are discussing two totally different things.

Their actions/responses match up so well that neither notices. Some call this the very definition of subtext and many film theorist argue that all films evoke a grand narrative subtext through some form of subconscious audience interpretation.

Two movies played on this 1 dialogue 2 conversations all the way through their films

The Man who Knew Too Little

Fight Club.

The Tree Of Life

2011-11-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Nature vs. Grace

Several reviews have lauded this film as an exercise in puffed up self-importance. It's been called a film that attempts too much within a film narrative.

While the harsh and sometimes vulgar parodies may hold a nugget of truth, let's look at just the opening of this film. This opening holds a deep truth.

The nuns taught us there were two ways through life—the way of nature and the way of grace. You have to choose which one you’ll follow… Grace doesn’t try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries… Nature only wants to please itself. Get others to please it too. Likes to lord it over them. To have its own way. It finds reasons to be unhappy when all the world is shining around it. And love is smiling through all things… The nuns taught us that no one who loves the way of grace ever comes to a bad end..

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Star Wars vs. Star Trek

2011-11-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables

Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Hero's Journey

Both J.J. Abrams and George Lucas are big fans of using the mono-myth. Look at the parallel situations and characters in Star Wars and the new Star Trek movie. Both movies had heroes with daddy issues. But there's more.

Both had mentors
who fought with their father.

They both also have
older, wiser, pointy eared mentors.

These mentors stepped
in when their first mentor died.

For more on these parallels click on the Grand narrative link.

The Lion King vs. The White Lion

2011-11-08T15:35:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: TLK vs. TWL

To paraphrase Sam Johnson, your script can be both good and original but the part that is original is not good.

Most audiences do not want originality, they want different versions of the same story.

Take a look at the parallel situations and characters in The Lion King (1994) and The White Lion (1960s - 80s)

They have parallel villains. Evil aunt.

And evil Uncle.

They both have ancestors in the sky.

They both have a patch of thorns scene.

Both leads eat bugs for their friends.

TLK is also based on Shake's Hamlet. For more parallels, you can click here.

Earth All Along

2011-11-08T11:15:00.000-08:00

Popcorn Parables: Earth All Along

These plot twist reveal to us that, while we thought the main character's journey had to do with any place but earth, it turns out that it was indeed earth all along. There are some variations below. SPOILER ALERT.

Some variations have been called Before the Beginning or After the End. In the Bible, heaven is a 'new earth' or return to Eden.

Planet of the Apes

In the future, the Apes make it back before he does but 'it was earth the whole time.'

The Village

They were like the Amish but it was present day Earth the Whole Time.

Superman: Red Son

Lex is really Superman's mega-great grand dad of sorts. Superman was sent back in time from a future version of Earth that explodes because the sun dies. But Krypton was earth all along.

Pandorum

They were not drifting in space, they had landed years ago. All they had to do was open the door. They had been there all along.

I Wrote A Great Script - Now What?

2011-11-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

Fist things First

If you just wrote it, it may not be as great as you think. You may need to step back from it for a month or two.

If it sounds like writing, I would rewrite it. - Elmore Leonard

When it's ready, create a high-concept log-line for transmedia marketing (also called mega-branding).

Screenwriting Contests

Be careful with this one. There are two or three really, really good ones out there. Kairos is pretty popular in Christian circles. Other than those, you may wind up spending a lot of money in admissions fees (which may wind up lining an indie producer's pockets for a film he/she needed money to make).

Screenplay tips has a good article on the subject. If you're going to spend more than a hundred dollars in admission fees for this or that competition, you're better off paying someone for script coverage and then perhaps self-publishing your story as a e-novel or e-flashfiction. This is called investing in your fan base.

Investing In Your Fan Base

If you first market it as a novel you can gain a strong reading fan base. The documented success of the novel will make adapting the novel into a film or TV series, for a distribution company, much easier. Some techie biz theorist (G. Moore) call this 'crossing the chasm.'

It is really win win. If you get published, it costs you nothing. If you self-publish, it still cost much less than making a feature film and trying to find financing for distribution.

Here are a couple of writers who did this:

The Shack

William P. Young worked with Brad Cummings and filmmaker Bobby Downes with the purpose of turning this book into feature film. How did they turn this story into a best seller?

After submitting the book to 20 different publishers and getting 20 rejection letters, they decided to print the book themselves. They marketed their book with a $300 podcast and sold their first million copies out of their garages.

A Time to Kill

John Grisham had 15 publishers and 30 agents reject his first novel. After getting tired of the process, he decided to publish the book himself with Wynwood press in 1989.

In 1996 it was made into a crime thriller starring Samuel Jackson, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey and Sandra Bullock. It took in nearly $110 million at the box office and was nominated for several MTV awards.

Side note: several well known figures with money have bought thousands of their own books and freely given them away. This puts it into the consumer community and technically shows that they have high book sales.

Networking

Sony networks with a lot of indie folks. They signed a production deal with Bishop T.D. Jakes after his film Woman Thou Art Loosed, drew theater goers through grass – roots marketing in black churches (Keegan 4).

Jakes also fits into the “investing in your fan base” category because he initially self-published a book version of this film.

Lions – Gate is another group that networks with indie folks. They funded Tyler Perry's scripts. He wrote several successful feature length films: Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Why Did I Get Married 1 and 2.

Tyler Perry recently helped to endorse the independent -film Precious. This film was initially headed directly to DVD but has gone on to be nominated for several Academy Awards, including best picture.

TV stations also have several diversity programs for writers.

Those who like internet marketing may want to click here.

Also try storydynamics.blogspot.com, tracking-board.com, freelanced.com, and elance.com.

If you are a Christian writer, Pureflix.com takes scripts.

Short-Film Festivals

Making your script into a short film and submitting them to film festivals is one good way to get distribution and funding for a full – length version. Several film makers have done this to get their films into the theaters.

Sling Blade

Hickenlooper has footage of the short film called Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade. Writer and actor Thornton went on to win the Academy Award for best original screenplay.

Napoleon Dynamite

This was originally a short film called Peluca. Writer Jon Heder and director Jared Hess were college students at BYU with less than 500 dollars. They took some black and white 16mm film stock, which they accidentally over exposed, and went to Idaho to shoot a nine minute film.

Although they accidentally over exposed the film, it gave their short an artistic look. Peluca became a hit at Slamdance in 2003. A year later it became Napoleon Dynamite grew out of this and became a hit.

Half Nelson

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden completed their full-length script Half Nelson before they filmed a shorter version of it. They intentionally did this and spent their time at odd jobs getting money to shoot a short that would convince financiers and distributors to endorse their full-length script.

They pulled together 800 dollars and asked for help from their friends. The 19-minute short won prizes at Sundance and the Aspen Shortfest in 2004.

Two years later the feature film was distributed to theaters and won an Academy Award for best performance by an Actor in a leading role. It won several film festival awards for acting and screenwriting.

With the advent of technology, we have the ability to produce and market films better than ever. Francis Ford Coppola prophesied of cinematic democratization.

We hear this at the end of the Hearts of Darkness (1991) video. He saw the future of film in the form of ‘some little girl in Ohio,’ and imagined a new apparatus that could enable such a girl to get her vision onto the screen:

“To me the great hope is that now these little video recorders are around and people who normally wouldn’t make movies are going to be making them. And suddenly, one day, some little girl in Ohio is going to be the new Mozart and make a beautiful film with her father’s camcorder and for once, the so-called professionalism about movies will be destroyed, forever, and it will really become an art form” (Heart of Darkness). I would say that day has come.