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aamilkeeyankhan · 6 years

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STORY STRUCTURE: The 5 Key Turning Points of All Successful Screenplays

Hollywood movies are simple.

Though writing a successful Hollywood movie is certainly not easy, the stories for mainstream Hollywood films are all built on only three basic components: character, desire and conflict.

Film stories portray heroes who face seemingly insurmountable obstacles as they pursue compelling objectives. Whether it’s Clarice Starling trying to stop Hannibal, Captain Miller Saving Private Ryan, or Billy Elliott trying to gain admission to a ballet school, all these protagonists confront overwhelming conflict in their pursuit of some visible goal.

Plot structure simply determines the sequence of events that lead the hero toward this objective. And here’s the good news: whether you’re writing romantic comedies, suspense thrillers, historical dramas or big budget science fiction, all successful Hollywood movies follow the same basic structure.

Even if you are a novelist, speaker, marketer or attorney, understanding these turning points, and incorporating them into your stories, will strengthen your ability to enthrall your reader or audience.

In a properly structured movie, the story consists of six basic stages, which are defined by five key turning points in the plot. Not only are these turning points always the same; they always occupy the same positions in the story. So what happens at the 25% point of a 90-minute comedy will be identical to what happens at the same percentage of a three-hour epic. (These percentages apply both to the running time of the film and the pages of your screenplay.)

In the explanation that follows, I want to take two recent blockbusters through this entire structural process: Susannah Grant’s screenplay for Erin Brockovich; and Gladiator, written by David H. Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson. As different as these two films are in style, genre, length and subject matter, both have made more than a hundred million dollars at the box office, both were among the most critically acclaimed films of 2000, and both employ the same basic plot structure.

STAGE I: The Setup

Erin Brockovich: Erin is a broke, unemployed single mother who can’t find a job, gets hit by a car, and loses her lawsuit.

Gladiator: Maximus, Rome’s most powerful, and most popular, general, leads his troops to victory in their final battle.

The opening 10% of your screenplay must draw the reader, and the audience, into the initial setting of the story, must reveal the everyday life your hero has been living, and must establish identification with your hero by making her sympathetic, threatened, likable, funny and/or powerful.

Cast Away transports us into the world of a FedEx executive, shows him as likable and good at his job, and creates sympathy and worry when he must leave the woman he loves at Christmas to fly off in dangerous weather. Or think of Lowell Bergman’s mysterious, threatening pursuit of a story at the beginning of The Insider. These setups pull us out of our own existence and into the captivating world the screenwriter has created.

TURNING POINT #1: The Opportunity (10%)

Erin Brockovich: Erin forces Ed Masry to give her a job.  

Gladiator: Maximus is offered a reward by Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and he says he wants to go home.

Ten percent of the way into your screenplay, your hero must be presented with an opportunity, which will create a new, visible desire, and will start the character on her journey. This is the point where Neo is taken to meet Morpheus and wants to learn about The Matrix, or where Ike gets fired and wants to go meet the Runaway Bride.

Notice that the desire created by the opportunity is not the specific goal that defines your story concept, but rather a desire to move into…

STAGE 2: The New Situation

Erin Brockovich: Erin begins working for Ed Masry’s law firm, meets her neighbor George, and starts investigating a case in Hinkley, California, but then gets fired

Gladiator: Maximus is asked by the dying Emperor to take control of Rome and give it back to the people, in spite of the ambition of his son Commodus.

For the next 15% of the story, your hero will react to the new situation that resulted from the opportunity. He gets acclimated to the new surroundings, tries to figure out what’s going on, or formulates a specific plan for accomplishing his overall goal: Fletcher has to figure out that he’s been cursed to tell the truth in Liar, Liar; and Mrs. Doubtfire devises a plan for seeing (his) children.

Very often story structure follows geography, as the opportunity takes your hero to a new location: boarding the cruise ships in Titanic and The Talented Mr. Ripley; going to Cincinnati to bury his father in Rain Man; the President taking off on Air Force One.

In most movies, the hero enters this new situation willingly, often with a feeling of excitement and anticipation, or at least believing that the new problem he faces can be easily solved. But as the conflict starts to build, he begins to realize he’s up against far greater obstacles than he realized, until finally he comes to…

TURNING POINT #2: The Change of Plans (25%)

Erin Brockovich: Erin gets rehired to help win a suit against PG&E.

Gladiator: Maximus, after learning that Commodus has murdered his father, vows to stop the new emperor and carry out Marcus Aurelius’ wishes.

Something must happen to your hero one-fourth of the way through your screenplay that will transform the original desire into a specific, visible goal with a clearly defined end point. This is the scene where your story concept is defined, and your hero’s outer motivation is revealed.

Outer motivation is my term for the visible finish line the audience is rooting for your hero to achieve by the end of the film. It is here that Tess discovers that Katherine has stolen her idea in Working Girl, and now wants to close the deal herself by posing as a broker. This is what we’re rooting for Tess to do, and we know that when she’s accomplished this goal (or failed to), the movie will be over.

Please don’t confuse outer motivation with the inner journey your hero takes. Because much of what we respond to emotionally grows out of the hero’s longings, wounds, fears, courage and growth, we often focus on these elements as we develop our stories. But these invisible character components can emerge effectively only if they grow out of a simple, visible desire.

STAGE III: Progress

Erin Brockovich: Erin gets some Hinkley residents to hire Ed to represent them, and gets romantically involved with George.

Gladiator: Maximus is taken to be killed, escapes to find his family murdered, and is captured and sold to Proximo, who makes him a powerful gladiator.

For the next 25% of your story, your hero’s plan seems to be working as he takes action to achieve his goal: Ethan Hunt begins closing in on the villain in Mission: Impossible 2; Pat gets involved with the woman of his dreams in There’s Something About Mary.

This is not to say that this stage is without conflict. But whatever obstacles your hero faces, he is able to avoid or overcome them as he approaches…

TURNING POINT #3: The Point of No Return (50%)

Erin Brockovich: Erin and Ed file the lawsuit, risking dismissal by the judge, which would destroy any hope of a settlement.

Gladiator: Maximus arrives in Rome, determined to win the crowd as a Gladiator so he can destroy Commodus.

At the exact midpoint of your screenplay, your hero must fully commit to her goal. Up to this point, she had the option of turning back, giving up on her plan, and returning to the life she was living at the beginning of the film. But now your hero must burn her bridges behind her and put both feet in. (And never let it be said that I can’t work two hackneyed metaphors into the same sentence).

It is at precisely this moment that Truman crosses the bridge in The Truman Show, and that Rose makes love with Jack in Titanic. They are taking a much bigger risk than at any previous time in these films. And as a result of passing this point of no return, they must now face…

STAGE IV: Complications and Higher Stakes

Erin Brockovich: Erin sees less of George and her kids, while Ed brings in a big firm that alienates the Hinkley plaintiffs.

Gladiator: Maximus becomes a hero to the Roman people and reveals his true identity to Commodus.

For the next 25% of your story, achieving the visible goal becomes far more difficult, and your hero has much more to lose if he fails. After Mitch McDeere begins collecting evidence against The Firm at that movie’s midpoint, he now must hide what he’s doing from both the mob and the FBI (complications), and failure will result in either prison or death (higher stakes).

This conflict continues to build until, just as it seems that success is within your hero’s grasp, he suffers…

TURNING POINT #4: The Major Setback (75%)

Erin Brockovich: Most of the plaintiffs withdraw due to the bungled efforts of the new lawyers, and George leaves Erin.

Gladiator: Maximus refuses to help the leader of the Senate, and Commodus plots to destroy both Maximus and the Senate.

Around page 90 of your screenplay, something must happen to your hero that makes it seem to the audience that all is lost: Carol dumps Melvin in As Good As It Gets; Morpheus is captured in The Matrix. If you’re writing a romantic comedy like Working Girl or What Women Want, this is the point where your hero’s deception is revealed and the lovers break up.

These disastrous events leave your hero with only one option: he must make one, last, all-or-nothing, do-or-die effort as he enters…

STAGE V: The Final Push

Erin Brockovich: Erin must rally the Hinkley families to agree to binding arbitration, and find evidence incriminating the PG&E corporate office.

Gladiator: Maximus conspires to escape from Proximo and lead his former troops against Commodus.

Beaten and battered, your hero must now risk everything she has, and give every ounce of strength and courage she possesses, to achieve her ultimate goal: Thelma & Louise must outrun the FBI to reach the border; and the Kennedy’s must attempt one final negotiation with the Soviets in 13 Days.

During this stage of your script, the conflict is overwhelming, the pace has accelerated, and everything works against your hero, until she reaches…

TURNING POINT #5: The Climax (90-99%)

Erin Brockovich: Erin and Ed win a $330 million dollar settlement, and George returns.

Gladiator: Maximus has his final battle with Commodus in the arena.

Several things must occur at the climax of the film: the hero must face the biggest obstacle of the entire story; she must determine her own fate; and the outer motivation must be resolved once and for all. This is the big moment where our heroes go into the Twister and the Jewish factory workers make their escape in Schindler’s List.

Notice that the climax can occur anywhere from the 90% point to the last couple minutes of the movie. The exact placement will be determined by the amount of time you need for…

STAGE VI: The Aftermath

Erin Brockovich: Erin gets a $2 million bonus, and continues working with Ed.

Gladiator: Maximus is united with his family in death, and his body carried away in honor by the new leaders of the Roman republic.

No movie ends precisely with the resolution of the hero’s objective. You have to reveal the new life your hero is living now that he’s completed his journey.

In movies like Rocky, Thelma & Louise and The Truman Show, there is little to show or explain, and the writer’s goal is to leave the audience stunned or elated. So the climax occurs near the very end of the film. But in most romantic comedies, mysteries and dramas, the aftermath will include the final five or ten pages of the script.

Understanding these stages and turning points provides you with a powerful tool for developing and writing your screenplay. Is your story concept defined at the one-quarter mark? Is your hero’s goal truly visible, with a clearly implied outcome and not just an inner desire for success, acceptance or self worth? Have you fully introduced your hero before presenting her with an opportunity around page 10? Does she suffer a major setback 75% of the way into your script?

But a word of caution: don’t let all these percentages block your creativity. Structure is an effective template for rewriting and strengthening the emotional impact of your story. But you don’t want to be imprisoned by it. Come up with characters you love and a story that ignites your passion. Then apply these structural principles, to ensure that your screenplay will powerfully touch the widest possible audience.

#writing #michael hauge #scriptwriting

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erraticprojectjunkie · 6 years

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2017 Book of the Year: Sweet Sixteen

The bittersweet fun of the Book of the Year Bracket Challenge is removing competitors one by one. Today, it's the big cuts. We'll be whittling down the competition from 26 books to the Sweet Sixteen. Some books will find themselves automatically moving forward while 10 unlucky souls will be left behind. Here is where we start... Buckle up...this is a long one... You'll notice that some brackets have only one competitor. Due to the number of books competing and the inability to fully fill the bracket, six lucky contestants move on automatically through the first round. And so... The Weight of Feathers by Anna Marie McLemore, The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg, The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan, Turtles All the Way Down by John Green, The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han, and Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs have all earned the right to continue. That was the easy part. Now...let's get to the meat of this round... Left Side Bracket The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg vs.The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg Ah...the magic of having the randomized bracket. It's totally unfair to Holmberg that two of her novels face off against each other right off the bat, but hey...she also managed one of the freebie slots, so I'm calling it even. I debated over this one for a bit. Both of these books are good--the initial and second reads in The Paper Magician trilogy. I initially struggled to get into the series, finding a lot of parallels and fearing that the trilogy was just a ripoff of Harry Potter. But...Holmberg has her own way with things and I quickly found myself more intrigued by the world she created and wondering about certain details as I read. This distracted me from the previous apprehension, and I mowed right through the series. Each of the two books has its merit. The Paper Magician was responsible for getting me interested in the series in the first place, but The Glass Magician was impressive as a sequel in a trilogy. It wasn't dull or serving as just a tie between the stories presented in the first and third books, as so often happens. Ultimately, I had to give credit where credit is due. And so... The Paper Magician takes the win and moves on to the next round. The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolvervs.Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline The Bean Trees was given to me in a book exchange and Orphan Train has been sitting on my bookshelf for what seems like forever. The Bean Trees was a decent read, but the plot was a bit choppy in pieces. It was honest and raw writing without a feeling of melodramatics...well, not ones that drew away too much from the narrative. I wasn't wowed by it, but it wasn't a worthless read either. Orphan Train had pieces of absolutely beautiful writing and heartbreaking action. I loved half of this book...the half that was written in the past. There were two sets of narration in the book and that, for me, was the biggest downfall. The historical pieces were amazing and read swiftly. The modern sections felt like they were written by an entirely different author and just seemed forced. Both books were moderate reads that I wanted...expected...more from. But one book just left me feeling more satisfaction in the read. So even though these books were, honestly, quite evenly matched, only Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline survives this round for further competition. Slade House by David Mitchellvs.An Abundance of Katherines by John Green This is a shocking match up for more than one reason. Number one...I don't read horror. Seriously. I haven't read a horror novel since...oh...somewhere around 1994. My apologies to Stephen King. I was pleasantly surprised at Slade House, which I read as part of RIPXII. It was witty and catchy. I read it pretty quickly since it gripped me quite well. I was slightly disappointed in the ending (this happens all too frequently), but overall I really quite enjoyed it. The other reason it's shocking? Well...Slade House managed to get paired up against John Green. Oy. Seriously. Based on my reading and rating history, An Abundance of Katherines should have been a shoe-in for progressing to at least the Final Four. And yet...I enjoyed the book, but I wasn't wowed. It was a good read, but didn't seem to be as deep and hard hitting as some of his other books. And that...well, that is the short version of why Slade House manages to edge out An Abundance of Katherines to move forward in the BOTY competition. The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Blockvs.Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan This was a pretty odd pairing to consider. The downside of a randomized bracket, I suppose. The Girl Without a Name is a mystery and suspense novel. I don't typically read that genre, but the synopsis drew me in. The story itself was quite interesting and the writing shows some definite talent. However, there were a few glitches that caused me pause. One major glitch, in fact. The author has a medical background (she's a neurologist) and yet her protagonist repeatedly disregards the principles of HIPAA, one of the most important and basic parts of being a medical provider. Anyone in real life who acted in the way her character does would immediately be at very least suspended and more likely fired with the possibility of having a licensure review. This nagged at me so much...seriously...it almost resulted in my ditching the book altogether. However, I soldiered on due to the good writing and the promise of a solid story. Ultimately, the plot held and I didn't hate it, but some of the characters seemed underdeveloped and that glitch just rubbed me the wrong way. Similarly, I found that Dad is Fat was a bit disappointing. You must think at this point I'm just a negative reviewer, but I blame this on seeing Gaffigan's stand up routine too often. I find him highly entertaining and enjoy his anecdotes. The book just fell short of whatever bar I had set for him. Damn you, preconceived notions. Don't get me wrong, the book is still funny and I did find myself giggling on occasion. I think I just expected to be wowed a bit more. Rats. So...two books that I had high hopes for that wound up being mediocre. Ugh. This is a depressing match up. Let's just rip the band-aid off and be done, shall we? Dad is Fat moves on to the next bracket, out of the sheer merit of not ticking me off. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Hanvs.A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles It's Not Summer Without You was my one reread of the year. And here's where I sound like an idiot... I didn't realize it was a reread until I was about fifty pages in. I just kept reading, thinking "Geez this sounds familiar. Have I read a book with a similar character before? Dang it...I know I've heard this name." And hey, guess what? I'd read it before. Embarrassing. And yet, I still enjoyed it. It could be a good beach read. It's nice and light and quick. Not hard hitting or enigmatic, but still entertaining. I read A Gentleman in Moscow as part of a short-lived book club. It took me a bit to get into...something of a slow starter, but I really enjoyed the character development. Alexander Rostov is an interesting character with a mesmerizing background. The narrative plows through several historical events with clever detail. Russian history is not my forte, so I think I did lose a little bit through my ignorance. Additionally, the author is incredibly bright and the writing is highly intellectual. The vocabulary is complex, which occasionally detracted from the story for me. It's definitely worth the read, but I would have gotten a bit more out of it had my understanding of some of the historical references and the language been more comprehensive. In this case, I decided to judge the winner based upon which one I would be more apt to grab up again or refer to a friend. Granted, the recommendation choice would likely be dependent on which friend was in question. But...I'm going by the most likely. So...A Gentleman in Moscow moves into the Sweet Sixteen. Right Side Bracket The Lauras by Sara Taylorvs.We Love You, Charlie Freeman by Kaitlyn Greenidge Ah...the easiest pairing you shall ever find. Well...at least in this list. I received the The Lauras from the publisher as a review copy. I had read Sara Taylor's The Shore a couple of years ago and thought she held great promise as an author. I wasn't wrong in that. The Lauras is a contemporary fiction novel that could easily fall into a young adult category. The writing is very honest. Taylor does fantastically with description and creates a very vivid narrative. There were detractors that kept this away from a 5-star review, but they aren't important for this particular match-up. So...we'll address them later. We Love You, Charlie Freeman...oh boy. This book...I really am almost at a loss for words. Almost. But let's cut to the quick...I did not like this book. Nope. Not at all. I should have thrown it straight into the DNF pile. There was a gigantic eww factor that developed for me and the narrative just fell seriously flat. Nope. Big, fat pile of nope. Obviously, The Lauras takes this pairing. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggsvs.Ceremony by Leslie Silko Marmon Library of Souls is the final book in the Miss Peregrine series. It totally holds up the series. I stayed up super late to finish it because I just couldn't put it down. That is the sign of a delightful book. Riggs is a talented author and I very much enjoyed this conclusion to the series. I read Ceremony as an assigned book for an American literature course. It's a fantastically honest Native American historical fiction novel. It's painful and raw, but beautifully written. It's a political and social commentary, but still maintains an individualized feel. It's a great journey book. This was a good pairing, but there was an obvious winner from the start. For me, a book that keeps me from sleep is always a good one and a difficult one to beat in these circumstances. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs takes the slot and heads on into further competition. A Secret Kept by Tatiana de Rosnayvs.Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert I read A Secret Kept because I had so loved de Rosnay's Sarah's Key. I think it suffered from the fact that I had read her prior work. A Secret Kept just felt okay. There wasn't a wow factor in any capacity. It read fine and had a decent plot, but the characters didn't feel fully fleshed out and the narrative was nowhere near as hard hitting as I expected. Again, having read Sarah's Key first, I really had a bar set that just wasn't reached. Big Magic was given to me by my sister-in-law. It's technically a self-help book, which had me leery at first, but don't let that label tarnish this one for you at all. The book stresses the individualism of creativity and the need to embrace the talent that may come from it. I found its message freeing and inspiring. That sounds completely lame to say, but it's totally true. This honestly is likely a book that could demand a reread every once in a while to refresh my belief in myself. Big Magic is going to take this bracket and push forward as a member of the Sweet Sixteen. Hollow City by Ransom Riggsvs.Snow Flower & the Secret Fan by Lisa See If you're someone who picks a book based on the cover, don't tell me you wouldn't stop and seriously consider Hollow City. The good news is that the book is just as fabulous as its cover. Hollow City is the second novel in the Miss Peregrine trilogy. It breaks the mold of the sad sequel, those books lacking in originality and spice, existing only to further the narrative and extend it to a third book. Nope. This one holds its own, baby. The world Riggs created in Miss Peregrine just continues to be marvelous in its strangeness. It's fabulously fun. Snow Flower & the Secret Fan is a historical fiction novel and it's heart wrenching. I was suuuuuper close to putting it in the DNF pile after struggling to get into it for a few months. But, it turns out that the issue wasn't the book...it was me. I just wasn't in the right place to appreciate it at the time. The second attempt was the winner. It's beautiful and real and the characters are just fantastic. I definitely anticipate that I will be reading more of Lisa See's work in the future. It was a close one in this case. Either of these two books could have easily taken the win and moved into the next section of eliminations. But...we all know the rules. Only one can win. And so, Riggs takes it again and Hollow City moves into the next round. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Hanvs.A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman We'll Always Have Summer is the concluding novel in Jenny Han's Summer trilogy. While it does have a decent ending (which is a small miracle), I did find that this one was a bit too predictable. I don't know if it's a matter of having stretched the series out for too long rather than reading the books back to back, but I just wasn't as enthralled as I had hoped to be. On the plus side, it was a quick and light read. Fitting for a summer based series, this one (as with its companions) would be a good beach read. A Man Called Ove was an adorable read. Seriously heartwarming, but also highly entertaining in Ove's quirkiness. Ove is a curmudgeon. He's grouchy with his neighbors and stuck in his ways. But he's also the cutest old man ever. He's a sweet widower in his own right, he just doesn't show that beyond his own private moments. This one would be a good book to revive someone out of a reading slump. Another easy choice. I loved Ove so, so much. He was just so incredibly well-written. Backman did a great job at developing a plot that served well to Ove's tedious nature without allowing the narrative to succumb to the same tendencies. A Man Called Ove will be moving on. WHEW! That was a long post and took me just about forever to write. But...we're through the hardest round in terms of volume. We now have sixteen books remaining in the running for my 2017 Book of the Year. Did your favorites make the cut? Inspired to add any new reads to your TBR? Think you know who will take the ultimate prize? Next up...the Elite Eight! This post originally appeared on Erratic Project Junkie and is copyrighted by Elle. Find EPJ on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

#Books #BOTY Bracket Challenge #BOTY2017

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sammysreelreviews · 7 years

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How Dead Hannah Baker keeps the Manic Pixie Dream Girl Trope Alive

*pictured above: Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) from 13 Reasons Why

***SPOILERS AHEAD FOR 13 REASONS WHY, PAPER TOWNS, 500 DAYS OF SUMMER. AND ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND!***

I know that some of you may be wondering what exactly is a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Well there’s no text book definition but here’s one I found online from urbandictionary.com:

“A Manic Pixie Dream Girl or MPDG, is a term coined by film critic Nathan Rabin after seeing Elizabethtown. It refers to "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures." A pretty, outgoing, whacky female romantic lead whose sole purpose is to help broody male characters lighten up and enjoy their lives.”

Now that you have an idea of what this is I’ll start by giving you examples. Usually the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, MPDG for short, is only there so the nerdy usually white male that is obsessed with them can grow from the experience with them. Now I know you’re thinking “how exactly do I spot one of these creatures?” Well guys it’s very easy and I’ll give you some tips. Most MPDG’s are white, have a wild outlook on the world, and are deemed gorgeous by the general public.

*pictured above: Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) and Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

The first MPDG I can think of is Clementine from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless mind. She is a wild says whatever is on her mind kind of girl and meets poor Joel on the train. This film happens through flashbacks and dreams showing how happy she made him. The relationship went sour which it usually does with a MPDG and they both have each other erased from their memories. Dramatic, I know, but losing her and getting her back helps Joel in some crazy way. It’s like without her he can’t fully live his life and that’s just sad.

*pictured above: Tom (Joseph Gordon Levitt) and Summer (Zooey Deschanel) in 500 Days of Summer

People love this movie and don’t even realize that Summer is problematic as fuck. Summer is this cool girl who doesn’t believe in love and basically drags poor Tom around for you fucking guessed it, 500 days. Tom thinks that Summer is the one for him and tries to date her and show her love exists. Even though they do end up dating things fall apart because cool, secure, witty as all hell Summer is still scared of love. I mean I thought that was a LA thing. It doesn’t take Tom to realize how pathetic he is until he sees Summer at a park AND REALIZES SHE FUCKING GOT MARRIED. Summer’s excuse is that she wasn’t sure about Tom but she was sure about her husband now.... LOL need I say more?

*pictured above: Margo (Cara Delevigne) and Quentin (Nat Wolff) in Paper Towns.

Last example is John Green’s book turned film Paper Towns. Quentin has been in love with the popular girl next door Margo. One random night Margo climbs into Quentin’s window and asks him to get revenge on her now ex boyfriend. They spend the whole night at the store getting supplies, ruining the boy’s car, and looking over the city they live in. Margo feels stuck where she is and unlike feels different tan her friends. Spoiler alert: she’s not. At the end of the night they both go home and of course nerdy Quentin is blissed the fuck out. Before I go in on this, we have to acknowledge that all of John Green‘s main characters are MPDG’s. It’s basically his forte. But I digress. Quentin wakes up and, surprise, Margo has gone missing. Quentin is determined to find her and believes that she left clues for him. Quentin his two friends and Margo’s bestie go on a roadtrip from florida to upstate New York and find themselves while trying to find Margo. His friends eventually leave him because no way in teen rom com hell are they going to miss the prom. Quentin stays and eventually finds the girl of his dreams. Turns out Margo didn’t want to be found at all and just like Tom in 500 days of Summer Quentin looks like a fucking dumb ass. Quentin makes it home in time for prom and enjoys it with his friends cause in the end that’s all he really needed... but it took a cross country road trip trying to find a selfish teen girl who doesn’t care about you to figure that out. Nice!

*pictured above: Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) and Hannah Baker (Katherine Langford) in 13 Reasons Why

As we all know Jay Asher’s book 13 Reasons why has been turned into a tv show on Netflix. The premise is that high schooler Hannah Baker has killed herself and left 13 tapes for certain people to listen to. If you’re on this tape, you’re one of the reasons why she’s gone. Creepy right? Well in the book, which is only 288 pages, Hannah is a sweet girl who seemed to have the worst time of her damn life. The book is short so it seems like every event that happened to Hannah happens like one day after the other. Clay listens to his friend’s tapes in one night and it really hits you in the gut. Personally I like the book better but I am here to address the show. If you want to read my full opinion on the entire show you can do so by clicking here.

The problem with the Tv series is that by stretching the fuck out of this book they have to add on to the characters. Unfortunately Hannah is made into a MPDG from beyond the grave. In the show Hannah is deemed pretty by everyone around her. If the high school jocks think you’re hot, you’re golden am I right? What makes Hannah a MPDG is the way she treats poor Clay Jensen. Clay is the main character in the show and you find out what happens to Hannah by watching him listen to the tapes. SInce it takes Clay fucking weeks to listen to 13 DAMN TAPES only through flashbacks do you get to see what Hannah is truly like. Hannah on the show confused me after I watched it. I was like “Why don’t I like her?” Don’t get me wrong I felt for the girl and everything that happened was horrible but something was just off. She talked to Clay all the time in witty banter and even gave him a nickname. There were so many chances where she could have just kissed him or got alone time but she didn’t. The other problem with Hannah Is that she was so confident and cool, and filled with teen angst, it didn’t make sense for her to care about what people thought. It’s like she had two personalities. When we see her with Clay she’s this smart funny girl who seemed unattainable but when we see her with virtually anyone else she’s insecure and dying for attention from any popular boy in school. Hannah makes it seem as if Clay isn’t good enough for her when in reality he’s the only person she has. In the 12th episode while Hannah is taking a walk she ends up at a house party where all the popular kids are. Even though she thinks Clay hates her at this point she could’ve tried to talk things out with him. It just frustrates me that she would go to a rapist’s house cause she’s that desperate for attention. Why fight for these douche bags that have done nothing but hurt you instead of fighting for Clay?

Clay shows character progression only when he’s listening to the tapes. Hearing his dream girl tell the stories before her untimely death makes Clay a better person to people around him. I mean that is the point of all this but at the same time, it shouldn’t take tapes from a girl who has committed suicide to realize that hey, high school is hard don’t be a fucking asshole to people. Clay also grows some balls while listening to the tapes. He basically yells in the middle of the school hall and even lowkey bullies this kid Tyler. I mean Tyler was a creep but bullying someone would be the last thing on my agenda while listening to a dead girl’s tapes. I wrote this for me to get my thoughts out cause everyone keeps asking me about this show. Every conversation I have I always say that I didn’t really like Hannah so if you think Hannah kind of sucks I’m here with you. Hannah is the most twisted MPDG ever and yes it’s because she’s dead. Clay only grows while listening to these tapes which is kind of in a way fucked up. Even though Clay, unlike the book, gets justice for two sexually assaulted girls and Hannah’s life it shouldn’t take Hannah’s 13 tapes to grow. Hannah killing herself should’ve made everyone change and grow on their own.

I know at this point you’re probably saying “ I read this long ass article what is the point?!” The point is that women are not objects. Being a woman is hard and having to grow up is truly a journey. You have media constantly showing you how the perfect woman acts or talks or dresses. Going through high school you have to deal with the pressure of society and unfortunately care about what your peers think. I grew up from my own damn experiences. I didn’t just find myself cause I left a boyfriend or cause I cut my hair I learned that I am what I am and I can’t change that and I’m very happy with who I turned out to be. This is especially hard to do when you’re a black girl like me raised in an all white community. Why must men in these movies need a girl for them to realize who they are? I’m not saying it’s easy to be a boy but come on dude the girl of your dreams isn’t gonna finally give you this sense of Omg I know what my purpose in life is. Your dream girl is not your mom teaching you about life. You know what’s right and what’s wrong without a girl whispering you to the right direction in your ear. You can only figure out who you are by being you and it is completely possible for films and TV shows to show this without a MPDG. I know the show 13 Reasons Why is supposed to show how small things matter and can snowball into this big thing. I get it I really do. The problem is that they could’ve shown that making Hannah solely the victim and not a jaded Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

#MPDG #manic pixie dream girl #eternal sunshine of the spotless mind #paper towns #500 days of summer #13 reasons why #hannah baker #clay jensen

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dream-in-charming · 5 years

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Just saw Newsies live and I have some feelings <3 <3

It just closed it’s last show here in Gilbert, AZ and I am dying to talk about it. I’ll add a page cut though since there will be many thoughts and I don’t want to annoy anyone with just a chunk of text who doesn’t want to see it. if it doesn't work on mobile, I'm sorry. I dont know how to fix it...

OMIGOD the show was incredible!

I’ll be posting pictures from the show, and of the theatre in another post, so you can see what I’m talking about (sort of, I only got a few, I wasn’t going to disturb the show).

Warning. This is going to be VERY VERY long. :)

For those of you not from AZ and whom have never been to this particular theatre, this theatre does shows in the round. Meaning the audience is on all sides of the performance. It’s a challenge but they pulled it off brilliantly!

So lets begin with the quick things.

The program is corny and I love it. It’s designed to look like a newspaper (the New York Sun) and the captions on it are funny. “Weather forecast: Cloudy, Clear By Evening”; “Miss Medda Larkin Dazzles.” and so on. The set was super basic, considering that it either had to be on the sides of the theatre, or easily moved on and off since there wasn’t really any place to keep it on. Honestly, the whole stage floor is maybe… 20ish sq ft? Maybe a bit more, I can’t find the actual dimensions. Heck the whole place only seats 350. But that aside, it worked WELL. Nothing blocked sight-lines, and anyone could see what was going on from any angle, they didn’t just play to one direction.

The who cast was INCREDIBLE! Every last one of them.

So let me talk about them now :)

The guy who played Jack was great. Insanely tall which worked well and made it easier to find him when he was the important speaker in the crowded scenes. Plus his facial expressions were the best. I loved them in “Something to Believe In”. Lily just adored him and any time he wasn’t on stage she was asking where he went, pretended to talk to him (in a super quiet whisper) when he was on stage, pointed him out in scenes, and just loved him. She wanted a picture with him after the show and he was sweet enough to oblige.

The guy who played Davey played him meek and it WORKED. Plus it helped to show his progress from the new news boy who just wanted to help his family, to the strong supporter of the Strike and voice of reason. And his voice was so melodic.

Medda. OH MEDDA. A STUNNING WOC and an amazing singer. Her song just made me smile the whole time. Please keep being amazing because damn. AH. Plus, she let me poke and prod at her costume after the show because I was curious about the material and the way it was made. Made to look like brocade, but wasn’t so as to save the actress from dying of heatstroke.

Wisel, Snyder, and the Delancey Brothers. I hate you. It’s a good thing

Les had the most adorable fluffy fringe sticking out of his bowler hat. I wanted to ruffle it. He was very talented and a great fit with Davey.

Katherine was beautiful. Though her timing for certain lines were off, and thus some of her funniest and strongest bits were lost, she still made up for it with a powerful presence and lordy what a smile. Also, the hair. Teach me!

Crutchie was tiny and adorable and everything I ever wanted for that role. Perfect. Plus, participated in quite a few dances. Done in a way where it doesn’t ignore his bum leg either like I’ve seen some shows do. They figured out a way to include him and make a point to continue to show, “he ain’t been walkin too good”. Also, Santa Fe - Prologue, “watch me run” broke me.

Pulitzer. A great demanding presence. And when he belted his final note in “Bottom Line” I got good bumps and turned to jelly. I love a voice like that. Ugh. Though his hat in the final scene…. bro, you is a rich man, you can do so much better. hahaha.

The guy who played Specs was a very good looking person, and when he took off his hat and exposed the mass of exceedingly curly locks, my heart stopped. Also very talented dancer!

All of them were SO talented (there were others I didn’t name here, the case was 23 people, I’d be here all day) The dancing was fantastic and the acting was amazing, the singing just floored me. I am so happy to have gone to see the show.

Now to talk about the scenes (skipping the filler scenes because again, time)

Santa Fe 1.0 - Crutchie. You broke me. 3 I loved it and it was a great start of the show. Just pulled me in right away. Lily too. From that moment on, she was smitten with Jack.

Carrying the Banner - So good! They had to work things around to make them fit into the smaller space, but it still was amazing. Seeing people practically above me performing was great.

Bottom Line - That final note. AMAZING. I got goosies! And Nunzio’s hair made me giggle.

That’s Rich - Medda you are one great performer. Performing for not just the audience, but the fake one for your ‘show within the show’. And teasing the one guy for “it may be rough but soon enough I’ll learn to make do” was the best. You go girl. You don’t need him!

I never planned on you - Whoever did the art for this show to display on the screens was terrific. However, the slow progression shots to show it was being ‘drawn’ weren’t completely timed right and I could see the jumps. Granted that’s both the software person and artist in me that picked up on it.

World Will Know - I WAS WITH YOU. Like, if someone really started a strike or rally or anything with those lines and the power built into that song, I would follow them 100%. Les’s lines were lost in the overlapping dialogue during the part where they were thrown out, but that didn’t take away from the whole scene.

Watch What Happens - Her voice was great, she his the notes brilliantly, but this is where the timing bit that I mentioned above was the biggest. She seemed to have just rushed through the song. Still, a good song, she’s a wonderful singer. I would love to hear her do more. Also, the type writer broke. Made me grin.

Seize the Day - Here arrive the Girlsies too! Also, the dancing was at it’s PEAK here. Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Plus this is the scene where Specs spent the most time in front of my seat. Totally okay with that. Got hit in the face with a paper by Mush. Kept it. Lily folded it up and put it in her purse. It is themed for that time period. Perfect touch.

Santa Fe - Felt a tad rushed, but not in a way that distracted or pulled anyone out of the show. Plus hearing Jack belt and Lily light up at him then whisper “It’s okay Jack, You’ll go to Santa Fe” was the sweetest thing ever. If she could have, she would have taken him there herself.

King of New York - When they danced on the tabletops I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. the tables were on WHEELS. And one of the tables I could tell only had one of the two locks, locked. YOU GONNA DIE! Also, spoons.

Crutchie’s Letter - a clever way to do it without a ton of boys. Crutchie is so smol. I love him.

WWH Reprise - “POOR GUYS HEAD IS SPINNING” Davey, you did not disappoint. Also, the way they did the painting was excellent. On the floor instead of a stand, so everyone could see it. Monopoly money? Ish?

Brooklyn’s Here - someone please turn their mics on. Please? They sounded so muffled and far away. Still good though. Watching Davey stick his tongue out at Bronx was a great growth. Also, them Brooklyn boys IS big. I’m sure Spot could take both the Delancey brothers on his own. Wow.

Something to Believe in - their expressions just MADE this song. Their smiles glowed. Also, after the kiss, Jack leaped forward to have another kiss but Katherine turned away making him nearly fall flat on his face… that the best version of that I have ever seen.

Once and For All - again, mics? What the heck? This is such a strong song that just builds to a HUGE ending. But seemed so quiet? The gal who played Mush whispered the words too, which I thought was odd. She danced past a number of times and I noticed she was whispering the words instead of actually singing. Not sure why this was done. Still, a good song, and the fact that they timed the printing press to turn on and start spinning right as the beat kick at the start of the song hit, was a brilliant visual. Made my heart speed up. If it weren’t for the odd quietness of the song, I would have been SO hyped!

Finale - was a good ending. Roosevelt was great, though his hat didn’t match his suit which made my artist side hiss. He did fit that role well though. If he gave speeches like Teddy did in real life, I’d totally listen to them all. Cruchie’s return was sweet. Jack’s HUGE hug when he came down to him was the epitome of friendship. And Race practically tackled him. They’s a great group of buddies. The taunting with the Money from Jack on whether he should get more papes was funny and showed off something that people tend to forget. They are just KIDS. Loved that choice.

Also, instead of “Newsies of New York!” they shouted “News of the Hale!” and I am living for that. My smile was huge. Thanks for adding that part, because it felt so much more personal and not just another show. Also, Roosevelt dancing with everyone at the end and his “AHHHHH GO!” face was hilarious! I was dying.

All in all, a fantastic show and I am so happy I got the chance to see it. I don’t think I’ve ever sat up, sat forward, and at so much attention for such a long time, in forever. I told them as I walked out to the cast (who stands out to say good bye after every show, they do that no matter what show they have) that they all did incredible because they did. I could tell it was rough on some of them, with red rimmed misty eyes, closing nights are always rough and so final. But they gave it their all and it was brilliant. I hope to see many of them in future shows.

Lily was begging to take a pic with Jack before we left, so we did, and it was adorable. She got embarrassed and shy soon as we got near him. I told him and the gal who played Kath that stood next to him what she said and did the whole show and how she just adored him and they thought she was so sweet. They were happy I brought her and I am introducing her to theatre. Well, I’m her mother, of course! Still, thanks for taking time to talk to her. I know she’ll love you forever.

Did I talk to Specs? No. I got way too flustered, just did a quick “incredible job” to the group of them as I passed. I am such a whimp. But then again, he’s likely taken, and/or doesn’t swing my way. Plus, how rude would it have been to just go up and (try) to flirt? Though I am bad at it, it would have been funny. Anyway, he is a person, one whom I don’t know, and I wasn’t going to be rude or creepy.

Anyway! That’s what I thought of the show.

Long text. Done.

#newsies #newsies live #newsiesmusical #arizona #halecentretheatre #gilbert #ah so amazing #closing night #personal #long block of text

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latestnews2018-blog · 6 years

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There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

New Post has been published on https://latestnews2018.com/there-were-zero-things-better-this-week-than-alexandria-ocasio-cortezs-victory-face/

There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Victory Face

Welcome to Good Shit, HuffPost’s weekly recommendation series devoted to the least bad things on and off the internet.

This is obvious, but the best thing I saw this week was NY1’s video of 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez realizing she had beaten out Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary for the 14th Congressional District of New York. The results all but assured that she will soon become the youngest woman ever elected to Congress, and they set off a predictably nauseating period of 24/7 news coverage.

Challenger @Ocasio2018 toppled one of the top Democrats in Congress, @repjoecrowley, Tuesday night in their primary in the 14th District. The victory stunned even her, live on our channel. #NY1Politics https://t.co/fnK1O0bacz pic.twitter.com/RjuqHJpn1p

— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) June 27, 2018

But the particulars of that moment were mesmerizing: the way she convulsed just for one second when she saw the results; her widened eyes and covered mouth, first with two hands, then with just one; when she shook her head exactly once and replied “Nope” after an interviewer asked Ocasio-Cortez to put what she was feeling into words; and then when she composed herself and told the world that the victory belonged not just to her but to everyone who was with her. It was something wholly foreign to 21st century American politics: pure, uncorrupted joy, and we were right there with her in the bar to witness it. What a shocking delight. ― Maxwell Strachan

Gucci Mane In Iceland

If you love yourself, watch this video of Gucci Mane in Iceland. Then you should mention BET, VH1, HGTV and the Travel Channel on Twitter, and petition for him to have his own show in which he travels the world and talks about how it makes him feel. Fuck, I love Gucci so much it hurts. ― Julia Craven

World Cup Tequila Shots

Re: Korea defeating Germany, thus allowing Mexico to progress to the next round–this video of Mexican fans bumrushing the Korean embassy in Mexico City to thank the ambassador personally, and forcing him to down tequila shots is so beautiful and perfect 😂 #KORGER pic.twitter.com/E1GeZCRrlK

— Very Stable Genius (@Rantaramic) June 27, 2018

Mexico got thrashed by Sweden in its final World Cup group stage game on Wednesday, but South Korea’s improbable win over Germany allowed Mexico to advance to the next round anyway. So, after the game, Mexico fans swarmed the South Korean embassy in Mexico City, mobbed the ambassador and other consular officials, and all but forced them to do shots of tequila with them. Then they chanted, “Korean, brother, you’re Mexican now!” The videos brought me genuine joy, even though the week was otherwise mostly awful. Mexico, which has had a pretty fun ride through this World Cup so far, plays Brazil in the first round of the knockout stages on Monday morning. It’ll be worth a watch. ― Travis Waldron

New Books!

Amazon

If you want to deftly thread the needle of unplugging from the horrifying news cycle while still thinking deeply about all the political, social and economic factors that have combined to make it so horrifying, allow me to humbly suggest two electrifying debut novels that were published this month.

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg takes the hoary tale of an 18th century folk hero ― the infamous English pickpocket and jailbreak Jack Sheppard ― and transmogrifies it into a wildly entertaining epic featuring a trans hero and a London underworld as diverse in race and gender identity as the real 18th century London was.

Set in Oakland, California, There There by Tommy Orange weaves together the stories of urban-dwelling Native people grappling with the consequences of white colonization that has disconnected them from their heritage. All the while, the plot builds inexorably toward a shocking conclusion. ― Claire Fallon

“Salvage Dawgs”

For anyone who wants to escape the madness of the news cycle, turn off the worrisomely relevant “Handmaid’s Tale” and flip to the DIY Network ― where you can peacefully watch Robert, Mike and the rest of their Black Dog Salvage team carefully extract architectural elements from private homes, historical properties and crumbling mills across the eastern U.S. states. I first caught on to “Salvage Dawgs” four years ago (as an HGTV fanatic), and with a new season currently airing on Sundays at 9 p.m., I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it again. ― Leigh Blickley

“Demolition Man” Nacho Fries

Taco Bell

Is it a coincidence that in “Demolition Man” ― a movie depicting a world of peace, love and Wesley Snipes with bleach-blond hair ― every restaurant is a Taco Bell? I think not. Now, in honor of the 25th anniversary of this cinematic masterpiece, in which Sylvester Stallone says “Heads up” before literally kicking Snipes’ head off his body and people clean their butts with seashells, Taco Bell is bringing “Demolition Man” nacho fries to San Diego Comic-Con. And as if this partnership could get any more perfect, the fries are supposedly free.

So even if you’re not into “Demolition Man” (but, really, who even are you?), it’s still enough to make you say, “Aw, bell yeah.” Anything else happening in your life is nacho problem. But just remember: This is still Taco Bell we’re talking about, so keep those seashells ready. ― Bill Bradley

Some Hedonistic Art

Irena Jurek

“Strawberries Wild,” 2018, acrylic, graphite, colored pencil, glitter and collage on paper.

Fuck self-care, “Alive With Pleasure!” ― a new group show at Asya Geisberg Gallery in Manhattan ― seems to suggest. These dire times require unabashed hedonism, stripped of nutrition, intention or good sense. Curated by Irena Jurek, the exhibition takes its name from the playfully seductive Newport cigarette ads from the ’70s and ’80s. The works on view ― by artists including Caroline Chandler Wells, Raúl de Nieves and Melissa Brown ― are united by an excessive energy that oozes from their materials, style, palette and subject matter. Strawberry orgies, sprinting nipples, smoking birthday cakes and rainbow horses with serious BDE populate the gallery space, manifestations of self-indulgence far more strange and satisfying than bubble baths and goat yoga. ― Priscilla Frank

Kieran Culkin In “Succession”

Listen, I do not know how I feel about “Succession” on the whole. It is a longish HBO show filled with rich white men whose business dick swagger is very sad emoji, pretty frightening and a little funny. But I do know how I feel about Kieran Culkin in “Succession,” and that is that Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is very hot. He is the media conglomerate sex idiot I never knew I needed. He is the entitled son of a Rupert Murdoch avatar that I would otherwise hate if he weren’t so good at sick sibling burns and fast talking. He is Igby Slocumb, if Igby had just gone ahead and Jeff Goldblum-ed himself. That scene where Kieran Culkin in “Succession” is wiping his own semen off the window of his high-rise office window is exactly how I imagine Wall Street Men behave, so maybe this is a documentary. I don’t know. Watch it for Kieran. ― Katherine Brooks

Music For Your Ears

It’s always been difficult to get a handle on Deerhoof’s noise pop. It’s both artful and art-damaged, heavy metal and wistfully melodic. On a recent episode of the great podcast “Essential Tremors,” drummer Greg Saunier explains at length how the band’s sound is rooted in an unlikely source: Burt Bacharach’s orchestral pop. Saunier is a captivating storyteller, unwinding his tale much like his band’s twisty songs bouncing from a nostalgic remembrance of his mom’s love of soft rock to dissecting the essential genius of the 1968 hit “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” to karaoke singing. “People have rarely agreed with me on this, but I pretty much think of Deerhoof as being a soft-rock band,” Saunier said. ― Jason Cherkis

Freaky people, clap your hands! You’ll hear that command on “The Now Now,” the latest LP from sprightly synth cartoon band Gorillaz. We could use a freaky handclap or two right now, especially if it’s filtered through baroque bops like “Humility” (a summer jam if there ever was one) and “Magic City.” This album? It’s sunshine in a bag. ― Matthew Jacobs

A Movie About Aliens

This week I’m all over “How to Talk to Girls at Parties.” Don’t be fooled by the “Dude, Where’s My Car?”-esque name, this is an entirely precious, entirely new, entirely weird movie about growing into love in the most outlandish of circumstances. Enn is a punk boy in the ’70s who likes nothing more than scaring old ladies on his beat-up old bike and eating tomatoes that grow in the sewer, but his life gets shaken up when he meets Zan, an alien girl from a clan of introverted extraterrestrials touring Earth. I loved the subversion of expectation, like when he leans in to kiss her and she vomits on him. Somehow this is still cute. Elle Fanning is a great alien, and Nicole Kidman makes an appearance as an aged punk, which is worth it just to see her done up in the requisite 3 inches of eyeliner. The special effects are really campy and kind of jarring, but fun if you just go with it. And Mitski (!) even makes an appearance on the soundtrack to round it all out. Upon watching it, my mother said, “What in God’s name did you just show me?” Great fun. ― Anna Krakowsky

Maeve On “Westworld”

The best thing for me this week was, hands down, the subtle power of Thandie Newtown’s performance as Maeve on the Season 2 finale of “Westworld.” There’s this one, glorious shot of her toward the end of the episode, defiantly using her powers to hold off a horde of crazed hosts in order to protect her daughter. It’s brilliant on many levels, foremost because it’s the instant where the show fully crystalizes something that, all season, it had only been half-committed to acknowledging: Maeve is basically every black woman who has had to save herself (and everyone else) because no one else would. In light of the dumpster fire that has been this week and quite frankly this entire year, there’s something cathartic in seeing that visual metaphor on screen. ― Zeba Blay

The Passionate Experts On “Ologies”

My evergreen podcast recommendation this summer has been “Ologies,” a delightful science series. Each episode features a different expert, or -ologist, who can expound on all the cool shit to do with topics including death, birds, fear, squids, even postcards (!!!). Host Alie Ward is a true delight and basically asks all the weird questions I’d want to ask. It’s educational without feeling too heavy. Listening to people who are passionate about things is kind of the best thing? I’ve yet to come across a dud episode, and there are nearly 40 in the back catalog to work through on your journeys this summer — or simply your journey ~through life~. ― Jillian Capewell

And Finally, This Photo

received a very promising tip today pic.twitter.com/UaAJGwoVWz

— Ashley Feinberg (@ashleyfeinberg) June 28, 2018

This photograph was DMed to me by a stranger with absolutely no words or explanation. It is beautiful and makes me want to die, which is all you can really hope for with art. ― Ashley Feinberg

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kitsunesbooks · 7 years

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My Thoughts on Alien Covenant

So I am not exactly a stranger to the Alien film series. While I haven’t sat down and watched the films all the way through, the internet had pretty much spoiled most of them for me anyway. So with a decent enough knowledge of the film series, I went into Alien Covenant looking forward to a great sci-fi horror flick done by Ridley Scott himself. I wasn’t disappointed. The film was thoroughly enjoyable and I had a great time watching it. The film is by no means perfect, but it did what it set out to do, which was tie up the loose ends of Prometheus while setting up the origins of the Xenomorphs. If you are still planning on seeing the film, but are a little conflicted about it, I advise you to go for it. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

So, the film. For one, I think it does horror well. To me horror is about two things, anticipation and spectacle. Alien has both of these traits, though if you are like me and saw most of the trailers and such then the anticipation fell off at some points throughout the film. Nevertheless the spectacle is there in glorious gory sequences throughout the film. Me being the edgy author I am, I love a good bit of gore on screen, however too much of it can make me feel sick or can just look obnoxious and dumb. Alien’s gore is what makes it so terrifying. The sounds, visuals, and overall effects. Everything weaves together perfectly to paint a grisly painting in motion. Props to the effects department because nearly every gruesome moment had me in complete shock. But I am not here to talk about effects, I am here to talk about the writing.

Alien Covenant has a decent story to tie together its intense survivalist thriller atmosphere. It’s story opens with a conversation between Peter Weyland and David, the android from Prometheus. Right from the gate, the film does nothing to hide its relation to Prometheus. Alien Covenant was planned to be the film that answered many of Prometheus’ questions, even though some of them aren’t even worth answering. (Check out the Prometheus video over at Cinema Wins, I think it does a very good job of explaining things.) The thing is, and this is true for Prometheus from what I have seen from it, both films are very straight forward. Everything you need to know is on screen and when you take that into account, there aren’t many plot holes and are more or less some questions that are purposely left unanswered. This is mainly in relation to a certain character’s motivations. That being said, the film has a simple plotline compared to Prometheus’ commentary on the “who made us” debacle. We get a few small little anecdotes of philosophy, but in all honesty I’m okay with it. There really isn’t much need for Covenant to go into those topics because Prometheus said all that needed to be said. Instead we simply get to see our cast of would be heroes survive on an alien planet that just so happens to be trying to kill them. The plot serves nothing more than to carry our heroes through the gore slick locales of the film. Now this is where I am going to get into the spoilers for the film as I can’t exactly analyze the writing without going into its plot. If you haven’t seen the film then I advise you to stop reading here.

With spoiler alerts out of the way, I wanna begin by giving a brief mention to our main character. Daniels is far more badass than Prometheus’ Elizabeth Shaw, and can easily stand among the likes of Ripley (and her daughter if you wanna count Alien: Isolation.) Daniels is an amazing lead and Katherine Waterston did a fantastic job, but she isn’t the only great character here. The entire cast is thoroughly enjoyable, even if some of them don’t last very long. Hell, James Franco is in the movie for a whole five minutes, in which he is burned alive while in hyper sleep. The characterization is also very well done as that first five minutes of roasted James Franco gives us a bit of a glimpse into the minds of Covenant’s crew. This is where I should probably mention that Covenant, the namesake of the film, is also the name of the colony ship our characters are crewing. The film opens with the ship getting hit by a radiation storm in space that causes a malfunction forcing the crew awake early. Sadly, not all of the crew make it and Daniel’s husband, James Franco, is killed by his sleeping pod exploding. This whole moment shows us just how much of a risk these people have taken by joining a crew like this. Their responsibility is to two thousand colonists and their safe passage to a suitable home. This of course is where we come to one of the bigger problems of the film that people are going to latch on to. What is happening on Earth that would force humanity to start sending out colony ships? My guess is simply this, just refer back to Prometheus’ answers to quite literally everything. Covenant exists simply because humanity could do it. Humanity sent a colony ship out into deep space because they could. It is as simple as that. Ridley Scott has said he would like to do a film where the Xenomorph ends up on Earth somehow, but until that happens we can assume things back on our homeworld are prosperous, more or less.

Events pass and we eventually get our McGuffin of the film in the form of a transmission from Elizabeth Shaw. The transmission is barely understandable, yet Tennessee (yes that is his name) is able to figure out she is singing “Country Roads” for some reason. From this transmission, the Covenant crew discovers a planet far closer to their current position that has all the suitable parameters for a colony. Now, I can totally see why people would get kind of pissy about this because of how tropey it is, but it at least makes sense. Both Daniels and Christopher, the captain, have valid reasoning for exploring or ignoring the newfound planet. Daniels is against the plan simply because they have no way of knowing what is down on that planet. Christopher agrees but wants to find out what is down there, especially since it has all the needs a colony would require. Basically it’s a “nothing ventured, nothing gained” sort of plot thread. I personally think it works fine, it is a simple plot thread that gets us to where our characters need to be for shit to go down. Plus it does kind of play around with the audience expectations a bit. I originally thought their original destination was going to be where the horror was waiting but, nope. The funny thing is, either option is tropey as hell. It honestly feels like the film has to use tropes because of it’s plot structure, and there really isn’t anything wrong with it because it doesn’t dwell too much on those tropes in the first place given how linear the plot is.

So, needless to say, the crew heads down to the surface of this uncharted planet and shit goes down, of course. The progression of events is pretty standard for a horror film. There really isn’t anything groundbreaking here, though I do like that we didn’t see any Facehuggers aboard the derelict Engineer’s ship. Which, when thinking about it, I find kind of amusing because the second half of the film follows classic Alien’s plot structure way too closely. The first half of the film is by far the superior half. While it does have a very standard progression in its plot, the escalation and spectacle keep it terrifying. I was struck silent once things started ramping up, and while I honestly think it was dumb as hell that one of the crew mates had his face literally RIGHT UP IN FRONT OF THE VIRUS’ SPORES, at least the crew isn’t all scientists like in Prometheus. Speaking of Prometheus, the first half of the film does a lot to expand upon Prometheus and bridge the gap between that film and Alien. We see the return of the virus from Prometheus but it would seem that this version is far more rampant. Prometheus gave us a sort of glimpse of what the virus did with humans, but after awhile and many, more than likely, modifications from David, the virus is much more potent. When two of the crew mates are infected we see the extent of what David’s virus has done. We get to see the emergence of a new alien monster, that I honestly enjoy a lot more than the Xenomorph. The aptly named, Neomorph, is an amazingly fresh creature to add to the expanding film universe of Alien and a much more memorable creature at that. The Neomorph was far more visually impressive than the creatures of Prometheus, minus the Engineer. That and it also isn’t just a variant Xenomorph, it has a different life cycle and it has a completely different behavior. The Neomorph is definitely what made the first half of the film so enjoyable, but we more than likely will never see it again, which is a little sad.

As the film goes on we eventually meet up with David who rescues our heroes from one of their own who turned into a Neomorph. I kind of like this angle they went with for David. They made David out to be this sort of survivor type of character. They even gave him longer hair and such to make him about as grizzled as an android can look. I expected him to have been studying the natural evolution of the virus and that he discovered the Xenomorphs, turns out he created them instead. Oh and he also has a preserved and dissected body of Elizabeth Shaw lying around. Fun times. But yes, that is our origin story. David basically nuked a planet that may or may not have been the Engineer’s homeworld with their own virus in one of the most disturbing scenes I have seen in a long time, and he proceeded to play at being god. Before I get more into David though, I want to talk about his counterpart, Walter. Walter is a later generation model that was designed to be more efficient than his predecessors. This means that he is forbidden to create and therefore one could see him as barely human. This is especially true from Christopher’s perspective as he treats Walter like shit. Walter’s “humanity” is also a great parallel to David’s, as David is almost too human to a fault as he essentially is repeating the same mistakes that his creator made. This of course brings us to the creation of the Xenomorph which, honestly, I think was done a bit poorly. Having David trick Chris into looking into one of the Xenomorph eggs was honestly kind of annoying. They could have done so much with this side of the plot and instead they stuck close to their guns and kept it roughly the same as the original Alien film. Guy looks into the egg, Facehugger latches onto him, Chestburster rips through guy, and Bob’s your uncle. My point is, we’ve seen this before, it’s nothing new. All it does is play into nostalgia, which far too many films and tv shows do nowadays, and that is something that doesn’t work with horror. You have to try damn hard to make something persistently scary, but after years of Alien stories, both in films and in the expanded universe, executing a scene like this is kind of a let down. Granted, the Chestburster scene that followed was pretty damn brutal and it completely outdid the original, but it still was nothing new, and that was the ultimate disappointment here. Even then, it was hype to see the Xenomorph make his appearance, and it did not disappoint. Granted the horror was kind of gone since Daniels was taking no shits and the film did the same thing it always does to kill a Xenomorph. Oh, hey, let’s chuck him out into space. Can we PLEASE get something new!? Is that too much to ask.

While I am not particularly a fan of this origin story, I don’t hate it. It fits the character and makes enough sense to be believable. David is a maniacal and manipulative son of a bitch, so this kind of thing is pretty much right in the ball park for him. However, I am disappointed that we couldn’t get a more Lovecraftian origin story that harkened back to the original Alien. The first film is hailed as a Lovecraftian horror film, especially because of H.R. Geiger’s art work that influenced the Xenomorph’s design. Instead we got a simple answer, and that’s fine, but they could have done a lot more and that is what makes me feel disappointed. I would have loved to see more Lovecraftian writing within this film series, but it seems after the success of Aliens way back in 1986, I don’t think we will ever truly return to the Lovecraftian roots of the Alien series.

I’m not going to say the film was bad, because it wasn’t. I enjoyed it thoroughly and it had a lot going for it, but unfortunately the second half did nothing to stray from the conventions of its predecessors. Hopefully when we see Alien return to the big screen we will get a much more intriguing story surrounding the Xenomorphs. All in all the film is entertaining and that’s good. The writing is to the point and straightforward and doesn’t do anything too philosophical. Granted the ending is sequel bait, and that is a bit of an issue, but if you are like me and just want to enjoy yourself watching this film then you should feel right at home. I can still say I enjoyed it despite it’s shortcomings and I think that is a good sign. Give Alien Covenant a shot if you are in the mood for some good sci fi horror. Hope you enjoyed the article.

Stay Frosty, Adam Schmidt

#Alien Covenant #Alien #Ridley Scott #sci-fi #horror #Xenomorph

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