The Kid Stays in the Picture

I don't think I had this documentary about Robert Evans on my GASP list - it doesn't fit the criteria - but it was on my personal list. The one I keep in a tiny notebook and carry with me everywhere I go. How I missed this documentary, I do not know. But. I watched it yesterday evening and was absolutely engrossed.

For those of you who don't know, Robert Evans is the former head of Paramount Pictures and the legendary producer of LOVE STORY, ROSEMARY'S BABY, HAROLD AND MAUDE, CHINATOWN, THE GODFATHER (1 and 2), MARATHON MAN, THE COTTON CLUB and more. He and Ali McGraw were a power couple for a time after LOVE STORY (good movie but terribly, terribly dated, I'm afraid).

Evans was discovered by the side of the pool at the Beverly Hills Hotel by Norma Shearer, of all people, and two hours later, he was auditioning for a part on the Universal lot opposite Jimmy Cagney. Talk about being at the right place at the right time. So much of Evans' story is about being in the right (and sometimes wrong) place at the right time. His story is one of risk-taking and bravado. Again and again he mentions relationships and friendships that came back to save him in moments of change. He was given a helping hand on many an occasion - sometimes just because someone met and liked him - that was enough to get Peter Bart to write the article about Robert Evans that led to his eventual installment at Paramount.

I was struck again and again in the movie by the rise and fall of those in the business. The "I knew-you-when" part of it. Who KNEW that Peter Bart would go from being a journalist for the New York Times to a producer at Paramount, president of Lorimar Films and then editor of Variety? Who knew that Evans would go from a B-list character actor to the legendary producer he did? Who do you know right now toiling away on this or that project who might be a person of significant creative and business importance in 10 years? That person might be YOU or it might be someone you know. You might be one of a graduating class of colleagues and peers who are very serious about this silly business called show.

Are you taking every opportunity to meet other writers and entertainment professionals (or aspirants)? Do you pay it forward and read scripts, give feedback, attend performances and be there for your peers and colleagues? That's the kind of stuff people never forget.

Why, just yesterday I got an email from a producer at a reputable company; she's looking for thrillers in the 25M range. We used to work for the same company about three years ago and we used to chat now and again about costume design (which was her passion at that time). Fast forward: She's an exec, we made a friendly bond and now there is an opening for me (or actually, one of my clients - my thriller's all tied up). You never know where friendships and relationships might take you in the future. Someone you chat with once in awhile might remember you down the line and might open doors.

Is there a direct correlation between Bob Evans and you, dear Waver living in Vancouver or Houston or Maryland? Well - we can't stretch this lesson too far - and yet you can take inspiration from his story. He was at the right place at the right time. It is Evans' most pivotal moment that defined his style ever afterward:

He was playing a bull fighter in THE SUN ALSO RISES. Hemingway, Ava Gardner and Tyrone Power had all written and signed a letter to producer Darryl Zanuck asking for Evans to be removed from the movie and Evans knew it. The bullfighting scene was being shot, Zanuck was there watching it and Evans said to himself BLEEP it - and he gave it all he had. Zanuck stood up and said "The kid stays in the picture. And anyone who doesn't like it can quit."*

Let's rewind the tape a moment: Evans is out there, in the ring, knowing that the writer and major stars of the movie he was in had requested his firing. In writing. The producer comes to watch the scene being shot and Evans decides to just go for broke and act the hell out of his scene. He didn't allow himself to be crushed or distraught over the disapproval of Gardner, Hemingway or Powers. He had nothing to lose so he went for it. But it gets better - it's not that this courageous moment led to a great acting career -Evans knew he was no actor. In fact, after this glorious moment came two embarrassing failures. Evans returned to New York (where had had a good job working for designer Evan Picone) thinking his life in Hollywood was over. But it wasn't over. Another opportunity came up - Evans was stubborn, he was brash, he just never gave up. And that, Wavers - that is the lesson he has for us.

If you haven't see THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, make yourself a martini, light up a cigar and enjoy. I promise you'll be entertained and inspired. Or maybe you can just not light the cigar. Or get a candy one. Whatever puts you in the mood of a mogul-in-the-making. Just not smoking and illegal drugs - Evans had a problem with cocaine that the movie doesn't shy away from. It destroyed his career for some time. But I digress. Watch the movie. You'll love it.

*Actually I paraphrased the second sentence. I can't remember the exact words. You know, these days, some Anonymous Miscreant will track down the exact quote and give me hell. I actually tried to find the second half of the quote but couldn't. Stupid Intertubes.

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Catching Up On Your Movies

Like most of you, I have seen jillions of movies. During different phases of my life, I focused my interest on particular movies: foreign, indy, documentaries, particular directors, etc. During a huge chunk of the '80s I was an art house junkie - it's German cinema week at the Old Vic! Thus, I eschewed mainstream movies like say, TOP GUN. It was just so bourgeois! Some movies, like say AMADEUS, I skipped because they were so ubiquitous and popular - and therefore far, far beneath my snobby little self. How silly, right?

Well, now I am making things right. I have a little notebook that I carry with me everywhere I go and every time I hear about a movie I should see - whether it dates back to my snobby days, or whether it's just something that for whatever set of reasons I missed, it goes on the list. And I'm having a lot of fun working my way through it. Some of the movies on my list I am frankly horrified and embarrassed that I didn't watch. Just so embarrassed. AMADEUS? Being that I am a screenwriter and own a business that advises other screenwriters...? That's just lame. So it's on the list.

My personal list also includes movies that I am not in the least bit embarrassed that I missed - I just missed the movie and I'd like to see it. Some of those movies are: 21 GRAMS, THE ROAD TO PERDITION, MATCHSTICK MEN, GANGS OF NEW YORK, etc.

Have you ever talked to a fellow screenwriter and they mention a movie they never saw and your eyes widen in absolute horror - NO. WAY! A friend told me the other day he'd never seen CHINATOWN and that was my reaction. Are you kidding? And you write scripts? Of course, then that person said but wait - you never saw GOONIES and a lively argument ensued as to the relative merits of a cute but forgettable '80s movie that has no must-see merits when it comes to screenwriters. You can see my prejudices all over the place on that one, right?

For a movie to make my personal list, it has to have three qualities: It will enrich my personal life because it's a beloved movie, it will enrich my professional understanding of film or I'm just plain curious about it. So one example from each category: THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE (documentary about Robert Evans, how did I miss this? Personal enrichment.). TOP GUN (I know why I missed it, I am not embarrassed, but it is oft referred to in screenwriting circles. Professional enrichment.). GALLIPOLI (directed by Peter Weir, with Mel Gibson, supposed to be really great. Curiosity factor.).

A friend and I were discussing this very topic yesterday evening and we made a list of movies that screenwriters really should be embarrassed if they have not seen. Now, of course this list is subjective and I have not seen every single one of these movies (we'll count up the exact number) but here's the scenario: You walk into a screenwriting writers' group and you are asked if you've seen one of these movies and you haven't - and you turn beet red. Because the movies on this list are accessible and available. Because they are often discussed. Because they feature unforgettable, iconic performances or were in some way seminal, instructive or innovative. Because they are part of the history and trajectory of film (say noir or screwball).

I could blanch that someone has not seen, say, HAROLD AND MAUDE, but it doesn't make this list because it's a cult movie and because while it is amazing and excellent and one of my top movies, it isn't an embarrassing hole in your movie viewing history. I would just say wow you should go see it. Or another example: SILKWOOD. I love it, it's great, but I wouldn't look askance if you hadn't seen it.

So here is the list we came up with, that if you walked into a screenwriting group and hadn't seen this movie, you would be stared daggers at and you should indeed feel a little embarrassed:

AMADEUS*
CASABLANCA
KARATE KID*
BLUE VELVET
CHINATOWN
CITIZEN KANE
STAR WARS
ET
INDIANA JONES
CHARLIE CHAPLIN (any or all)
FATAL ATTRACTION
SUNSET BOULEVARD
PSYCHO
REAR WINDOW
MALTESE FALCON
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS
WALL STREET
SCARFACE
THE GODFATHER
WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
ANNIE HALL
SCHINDLER'S LIST*
THE WIZARD OF OZ
ROCKY
THE SIXTH SENSE
THE MATRIX
DIE HARD
THE PRINCESS BRIDE
HIGH NOON
TAXI DRIVER
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
TOOTSIE
RISKY BUSINESS
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
BRINGING UP BABY
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
CHARIOTS OF FIRE*
MOONSTRUCK
FARGO
MEMENTO
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
THE USUAL SUSPECTS
JAWS
THE EXORCIST
GOODFELLAS*
THE SHINING
BIG
SILENCE OF THE LAMBS
ALIEN
ANIMAL HOUSE*
ON THE WATERFRONT
NETWORK
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
APOCALYPSE NOW
DELIVERANCE
PRETTY WOMAN
ARTHUR
BACK TO THE FUTURE
GONE WITH THE WIND
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN
TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE
ROSEMARY'S BABY
PATTON
THE GRADUATE
RAGING BULL
FORREST GUMP
SOME LIKE IT HOT
TOY STORY
THELMA AND LOUISE
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE*
FINDING NEMO
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST
AMERICAN BEAUTY
THE PLAYER
ALL ABOUT EVE
TERMS OF ENDEARMENT
ADAM'S RIB
REBECCA
MILDRED PIERCE
HARVEY
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
GLADIATOR

Okay there are seven movies on this list that I have not seen and they are all on my Hall of Shame List: AMADEUS, KARATE KID, GOODFELLAS, SCHINDLER'S LIST, ANIMAL HOUSE, CHARIOTS OF FIRE, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. And here's why I didn't see them: 1) Ubiquity/snobbyness. 2. Same. 3. Aversion to mob violence in movies 4. Tried but it upset me very much. 5. I was too young and frat life had no relevance in my life. 6. Ubiquitous soundtrack annoyed me out of it. 7) I have seen clips and it looks really upsetting. Don't worry. I'll man up.

So what would you add to this list? Remember the criteria for being on this list:

It's easily accessible: it can be found at any video store.

It is reasonable that a person younger than 40 would, could or should have seen this. This is an important criterion to remember. Should GRAND HOTEL or GILDA be on this list? Yeah, maybe. But for most younger screenwriters today who aren't enrolled in a film studies program, movies like that are reaching back into the dust bin a little bit.

It is frequently discussed in screenwriting circles. Not cinephile, snobby circles (you know who you are, person about to jot down LA DOLCE VITA). Regular circles.

It has a seminal or iconic performance (You talkin' to me?) .

The embarrassment barometer: If you haven't seen it, you often pretend you have. (Aren't you proud of me, Wavers, for being totally honest about my missing movies?)

It is not a cult movie, it is fairly mainstream (So hesitate before you list anything, Lynch-lovers. I threw BLUE VELVET on the list, because I do think it was stylistically innovative but...).

It is part of the history and trajectory of film; it fills in the holes of your film history.

It is instructive for screenwriters: It has amazing dialogue or crazy structure, it broke with convention in some way. It innovated storytelling (THE MATRIX).

Okay, ready, set...what are your hall of shame movies? How many movies on this starter list have you not seen? Paying careful attention to the list of criteria and setting your snobbi-tude aside, which movies are missing? Are you sure you aren't listing REVENGE OF THE NERDS because it lit you up when you were 12? Does it really fit the criteria?

****
Added because I've already gotten a couple of outraged - how could you forget THIS? This is a starter list. That is the point. Look over the criteria and make suggestions. What is missing that fits the criteria?

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Screener Season

So this is my favorite time of year. Screener season. Every year, a few weeks before award season, production companies send DVDs of their films to the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Sciences as well as those of the Writers Guild, Directors Guild and Producers Guild. If you are lucky enough to BE in one of those guilds, much less an Academy member, you are on the receiving end of upwards of 15 free DVDs of the hottest films of the year.

And if you are lucky enough to be friends with someone who gets screeners - well, it's all good. This week I have MILK, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD and THE WRESTLER and next week I'll be in line for more. I am so excited. Now, I do not have a super fancy or large tv but for so many films, that's okay with me. Let's be pragmatic for a moment - I'm saving 14 bucks on each film by seeing them at home. Now screeners do have a slightly annoying stamp over the scenes PROPERTY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES (or whomever) but hey, for 14 bucks, you get used to it fast. I'm sure sharing of screeners is frowned upon but everybody does it - it's a common mantra at this time of year - hey, I have that screener if you're interested.....

Meanwhile, because of my job and also because I'm a cinephile, I also spent time this weekend catching up on movies I haven't seen. Now, you have to understand, when I catch up on movies, or dig into screeners, I'm watching this stuff not so much as a viewer seeking entertainment but as a professional making sure my movie knowledge is well informed. If a movie is said to be bad, I want to see just why that is for myself. When I want to just be Joe Average movie viewer and totally forget myself and become immersed in a movie, I go to the theater like anybody else. So forgive these odd movie choices: It's research.

MONGOL: Oh my god, what an interminably long, dull movie. Very few BIG scenes of Mongolian hordes doing their thing. I have come to the conclusion that the subtitle, "The RISE of Ghengis Khan" should have been my warning. I don't want to see the RISE of Ghengis Khan, I want to see full blown Ghengis action! But no. I give this movie one out of five cupcakes with yak curd frosting.

THE HAPPENING: Oh, M. Night. What happened to YOU? Note to self: Must read "The Man Who Heard Voices..." to gain more understanding of the rise and the fall of M. Night Shyamalan. First act: three-and-a-half out of five cupcakes. After that: one out of five.

THE NUMBER 23: So much promise. Such an interesting conceit. But so confusing. I watched in confused silence with a friend and it was somewhere around the midpoint that we both went OHHHHH. Then there was more confusion and consternation. First half of movie, one out of five cupcakes, second half, two out of five. At best.

FAR FROM HEAVEN: Wow, such a gorgeous film from an art direction point of view. Great performances by all, however, depressing, fairly predictable storyline. I had heard this movie was just so spectacular by some friends and by others that they couldn't get through it. I'd give this movie three out of five cupcakes.

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7 Movies in 4 Days

The Mini-W and I like movies. We like them a lot. We go to the video store and just about sweep our arms over shelves and take anything and everything. We figure we saw about 30 movies last summer. And those are just video rentals. We lost count of those we saw at the theaters. Some of the movies below, you're going to say HELLO oh my god, I saw that thirteen years ago! Well, yeah, but that's the point of our video store pillaging - if we haven't seen it, we see it. We are voracious movie omnivores and we bet that if you went to the video store and looked at every shelf we could probably go toe-to-toe with the greatest of cinefiles when it comes to classics. So we're playing catch up on other stuff and we love it. If we hate the movie, who cares, we order in Chinese and go to the next one.

Last weekend, we managed to see:

Artificial Intelligence AI: Wow. Fascinating premise. We were glued to the screen. Very cool and touching and then - geez - a sex robot combined with a fairy tale motif? Wha-? What a red hot mess it devolved into. Too bad. Very disappointing.

12 Monkeys: Wow! We loved it! Why is Brad Pitt so good at playing lunatics? Others said it was convoluted and confusing but we found it relatively easy to follow. We *heart* Bruce Willis and Madeline Stowe was okay too. Fun discussion about the nature of reality afterwards.

The Strangers: GREAT horror flick; scared us to pieces even though Mom had read the script about three years ago and knew what was going to happen. A knock on the door was never so terrifying. Simple, frightening, memorable. Mini-W and Mom have canceled vacation at cabin by lake.

Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay: Oh, lord. Funny moments but not as funny as the first installment of H & K. Gross-out factor: High. Intelligence and wit: Also high. Strange combination. Best moment: when Neil Patrick Harris sees the unicorn in the background as a policeman is interrogating him. But drugs are bad. Just say no.

Journey to the Center of the Earth: Uh - well - we do like Brendan Fraser and there were some pretty cinematic moments. Too bad we didn't have 3-D glasses but we got the gist. Seems like this could have been GREAT when it was only okay. This movie is aimed at fourth graders - which is fine by us but we're too old. Mom remembers when she was working at Walden Media and they were casting for the kid. A SEA of young boys around age 12 were crowding the lobby with their moms in tow. Mini-W unimpressed by this remembrance.

Role Models: Saw this in the theater. The Mini-W thought it was funny and cute, Mom sat in silence, anticipating a big laugh but never getting it. I thought it was under-cooked, trite and obvious and am surprised at the "hilarious" reviews I have heard from my friends who have seen it. Not that funny, not that cute. Could have been so much better. Disagreement solved by going out to a delicious lunch and putting the experience behind us.

Slumdog Millionaire: Wow! Dark! Dark and wow! Epic! Colorful! Unforgettable. The Mini-W and I are big Danny Boyle fans and love how he genre hops. Not exactly a feel-good movie and yet ultimately a totally feel-good movie. We give the Bollywood ending five out of five jelly beans.

Movies Mom is looking forward to: MILK and AUSTRALIA (five words: Hugh with his shirt off). Movies the Mini-W is looking forward to seeing: SAW V (video rental from which mom will be conspicuously absent) and UNBORN.

So there's a holiday weekend coming up, Wavers. You don't have to hit the theaters if you don't want to - it's going to be crazy-crowded. But hit the video store and load up. Particularly load up on movies in the genre you love best and make sure to see any and all movies that bear any resemblance whatsoever to what you're writing right now. If you haven't seen the classics, stoop down low on the shelf, toward the bottom, and load up on those. If you want to be a screenwriter, you have no excuse if you don't see a lot of movies on an ongoing basis.

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The Sweet Smell of Success

All right. I admit it. I didn't watch the movie of the week this week because I was too busy judging scripts. But. I have of course seen it before and not all that long ago.

Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker (a version of Walter Winchell) is sheer genius. I hereby nominate Lancaster as one of the best actors EVER. In his later years, he took a lot of jobs that were no indication of his incredible versatility and acting chops. BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, ELMER GANTRY, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY are just a few movies I have loved him in.

Tony Curtis - if you have heretofore thought of Curtis as an actor of limited chops, seeing him as Sidney Falco will forever put that to bed. He is amazing.

Ernie Lehman and Cliff Odets - we should aspire to such writing. Rarely are the names of the writers of a movie so quickly and closely associated with the movie but these two were writers writers and pulled no punches in this sharp-as-a-knife look at the dark side of the soul. Nobody else could have written this movie (based on a novella by Lehman).

Cinematography by James Wong Howe was just gorgeous; the slick black and white was a perfect match for the story which for me was filled with creeping dread. You can't watch THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS without a feeling of vague anxiety.

The movie is a morality play which is totally relevant today - maybe even moreso. The allure of power and the power of media is explored here in an unforgettable way. THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS is the perfect storm: great performances, amazing score and cinematography and writing that is pitch perfect.

For any Wavers who watched: what did you think? Should the movie be remade with Kevin Spacey or is it something that should never be spoiled by reinterpretation? Did you feel any empathy for Sidney Falco or was he as cold and reptilian as J.J. Hunsecker?

Next week:

Elmer Gantry

Because it's Burt Lancaster at his absolute, most entertaining best.

Because it combines both an illuminating look at a historical time and place but also is totally relevant today particularly at election time; the power of charismatic showmanship is just as persuasive during the time of snake oil salesmen and religious prophets as it is during the time of Obama and McCain.

Because not enough people have seen this movie and that's part of the point of the movie club; to expose Wavers to great movies that are down on the lower left shelf at the video store. You want to work in this industry, right? Don't be one of those people who looks down at your toes, embarrassed, while other people talk about great movies from yesteryear.

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Movie Discussion: Fitzcarraldo

It's Movie of the Week discussion day! All right, first of all The Wave-inatrix sucks because I didn't get a chance to see Burden of Dreams. So. I suck. BUT if any Wavers did see either film, I'd love some discussion here on La Onda Roja as we kick off our experimental Movie of the week club.

Regarding Fitzcarraldo:

What, in your view, was the theme of the movie?

What was your favorite part?

Was Fitzcarraldo an admirable character, was he redeemed in the end, or was he single-minded and obsessed in a negative way?

Did you feel that WHY he wanted opera brought to the village was explained or was a backstory missing on that? Did it matter?

Was Kinski's hair completely fantastic or what??

Did the movie feel overlong or was the pacing fine?

Do you feel this is a movie that movie-lovers should make an effort to see or can you read a brief synopsis and Bob's your uncle?

Did Fitzcarraldo's character complete an arc? If so, what was it?

Overall, did you enjoy this movie? Would you recommend it?

******

Rouge Waver Debby Vega suggested THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS for our next selection. Here are her compelling reasons:

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, because:

- People not familiar with older Hollywood films really should know that, yes, they DID make dark and edgy films back then.

- The subject matter--the power of the media and how some people abuse that power--is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.

- It's so rare to hear dialogue that smart, that sharp, that memorable.

- It's a great example of effective use of setting. New York City is practically another character in the film.

- You won't quickly forget these characters. JJ is possibly one of the greatest film villains of all time. And the acting's not shabby, either.

So queue up THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and be ready to discuss it next week, on September 9th.

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