“Because a man who doesn’t spend time with his family can never be a real man.” Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola
Tag: screenplay
Why Audience Embracing of Sinners is Good News for Filmmakers
Some of you may be familiar with GenXvZ: A Movie Podcast, which I co-host with my daughter, MacKenzie. We are both film school grads, and we review current films and discuss what we believe makes them great or what caused them to miss the mark. A common refrain that is often heard in our podcast …
Today’s Movie Quote: Conclave
“I am what God made me.” Screenplay by Peter Straughan
The Ballad of Wallis Island: What the Character Wants vs What the Character Needs
The Ballad of Wallis Island has been out for a few weeks, and I finally got to see it. I had heard some good things about it, so I went in with relatively high expectations, and somehow this film surpassed them. Sometimes, films are primarily about what happens. Sometimes films are about how you feel …
The Amateur Missed the Mark
The Amateur wanted so badly to be a Jason Bourne movie. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. It was an entertaining movie with nice performances from Rami Malek as Charlie Heller, a CIA decoder whose wife is killed in a terrorist attack, and Laurence Fishburne as the CIA trainer, Henderson, who must get Heller ready for …
Know the Audience For Your Screenplay
“Know your audience” is an oft-repeated phrase in Hollywood. Most ideas target specific audiences, and some of those audiences are larger than others. Naturally, if you have an idea for a high-concept blockbuster, the audience is going to be huge. However, there is much value to be found in something that might be more niche. …
Sing Sing: An Important Film That Everyone Should See
I saw Sing Sing over the weekend, and it blew me away. This film was a masterclass in acting and directing. It was thematically powerful, had a definite point of view, and drove home emotionally charged components. It had important messages about incarceration and the ideas of rehabilitation vs. punishment. Let’s talk about the story …
Story Structure and the Hero
I have talked to many screenwriters over the years who lament the idea of the 3-act structure and the supposed restrictions it places on writers and the screenwriting process. This is a simplistic view of what story structure really is. There is a reason that the 3-act structure (really 4-act structure) has become the industry …
BSsentials – Jaws
Oh, my god, this film is so fucking good. It’s impossible to overstate how excellent of a film Jaws is, and how important it was in the history of cinema. Rarely is there such a confluence of such greatness and such historical importance in a single film, and Jaws hits all the right notes. It’s ranked #48 on …
Summer Splash | The Biggest Reason to Get Screenplay Coverage This Summer
The official first day of summer is a week away—which makes it a great time to get professional coverage for your screenplay from Monument Script Services. Most professional writers won’t send a script to a producer without first having it read by a professional reader. Professional coverage gives any writer—no matter how seasoned or experienced—an …