Jeffrey Alan Schechter

Overall Impression — Ah, to be young again.  Then I would have liked this movie rather than just liked that my kids liked it.  THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — Skeeter. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Take over control of the hotel that was promised to him as a child, build a […]

Overall Impression — Gone are the quips, the easy going air of superiority.  It’s an action movie, first and foremost and a well-structured one with an interesting stakes character. THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — James Bond What’s he trying to accomplish? — Defeat the plans of the evil Dominic Greene (professional), keep […]

Syd Field first described the three areas of conflict your main character is dealing with, and I’ve gone back to this concept over and over again, particularly in crafting a good CENTRAL QUESTION for my stories.  (The Central Question is the question that once it’s answered definitively “yes” or “no” the movie is over.) These […]

Overall Impression — At first I was embarrassed at how much I liked this movie, and then I realized that I had nothing to be ashamed about! THE FOUR QUESTIONS Who’s your main character? — Maxwell Smart. What’s he trying to accomplish? — Prove that he’s a capable field agent, impress Agent 99, and save […]

  Overall Impression — I don’t know what they were smoking, but I want some. THE FOUR QUESTIONS  Who’s the main character? — Jack Sparrow, but only by default.   At various times Will drives the story, Elizabeth drives the story, Barbossa drives the story, there’s probably some sub-plot I missed where the third pirate […]