Overall Impression – (Thrilling action) + (brutal violence) x (visionary director) = (visually exciting movie that depressed the hell out of me.) THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? – Wesley. What’s he trying to accomplish? – Professional: learn how to be an assassin. Personal: Kill the man who killed his father. Private: discover who he… Continue reading WANTED
Author: Jeffrey Alan Schechter
In Defense of Structure
Imagine listening to two pieces of music, both very similar but with one major difference. The first piece is the glorious final movement from Beethoven’s 9thSymphony. The second, a random re-ordering of all the same notes, played by all the same musicians, on all of the same instruments, and with each note lasting exactly as long as… Continue reading In Defense of Structure
Welcome, Dan and André!
In the spirit of sharing the wealth (all right…sharing the work) I’m welcoming two new reviewers to this blog: Dan Pilditch and André van Haren. Dan is my protege, sometimes writing partner, and all around good guy. He’s also a working writer and a Contour-head…having been around since the TotallyWrite days. Be forewarned, Dan’s from England so… Continue reading Welcome, Dan and André!
Four Questions? Four Archetypes?
In order to have a basic understanding of how these reviews work, you need to understand two concepts: the four questions and the four archetypes. The four questions are the questions that every movie must answer effectively: Who’s your main character? What’s your main character trying to accomplish? Who’s trying to stop your main character?… Continue reading Four Questions? Four Archetypes?
FROST/NIXON
Overall Impression — A boxing match with words and wits, not muscle and brawn. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — David Frost. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Be taken seriously as an intelligent interviewer and not just a talk show host by betting Nixon to admit publicly what he never had before:… Continue reading FROST/NIXON