Fixing Star Wars

On By BrandonLeave a comment

I’m sure that most of you have heard the news by now that J. J. Abrams will be directing the next Star Wars movie. It will be the first of a new trilogy taking place sometime after Return of The Jedi. Abrams has Mission Impossible 3, Star Trek and Super 8 under his belt as a director. As a producer he has given us such television shows as Alias, Lost, Fringe and Person of Interest. He was writer on some of the television shows he produced as well as for the movies Regarding Henry, Forever Young and Armageddon. So, what does all this mean besides the introduction of the lens flare to the Star Wars universe? Mostly good news.

May the force be with you.
May the force be with you.

Thanks to the prequel movies, Star Wars has existed in this weird limbo space for most fans. I could sit here and list the problems I have with the prequel films, just as I’m sure most of you can, but they have already happened. There is nothing really that can be done to take the inane plot ideas that Lucas introduced in the prequels back. They are out there in the world now. Anakin was immaculately conceived through a concentration of (groan) midicloreans. Jar Jar Binks is Jar Jar Binks. The eternal love story of Anakin and Amidala is best related through talk of coarse sand. Boba Fett is just an imitation of his dad. I could go on but lest you think I have no love for the prequels at all, I will mention a few things I’m glad Lucas introduced in the films: Darth Maul and dual light sabers, Liam Neeson, Yoda fighting, Count Dooku,  General Grievous and the pod races.

Abrams has a giant task ahead of him due to the lackluster reception the prequels received and will have to work to earn good faith in his version of Star Wars. The awesome job he has done reviving the Star Trek series will go far in proving to the fans he has what it takes to return Star Wars to its former glory. It also doesn’t hurt that Michael Arndt, the writer of Toy Story 3, is finishing the script for the new Star Wars movie. Overall, I think the Star Wars universe is in good hands. It was time for George to pass the baton to someone else and I can’t wait to see what new adventures await us in the Star Wars Universe. Thank you George for creating this little thing called Star Wars. Good luck to you J. J. in the coming months. Take care with the property you’ve been handed, but most of all I want you to have fun with it. If Star Wars needs anything now, more than ever, its joy.  May the force be with you, always.

 

 

The Following

On By BrandonLeave a comment

Monday was the premiere of the new horror show The Following on Fox. We followed Kevin Bacon as Ryan Hardy, a FBI agent that helped capture the Edgar Allen Poe obsessed serial killer and college literary professor Joe Carroll and turned his exploits into a best-selling book. Seems that Hardy has fallen on hard times when the show begins. He is no longer in the FBI due to his heart condition and his water bottles filled with vodka. Caroll had managed to stab Hardy in the heart during his capture. Hardy has a pacemaker as an ongoing reminder of the terror. The alcohol is just to kill the pain apparently. You see, a hero can only rise from the ashes when his life has been burned to a crisp and he actually lives in said ashes (I’ve heard that ashes are in fact no fun to live in and kind of ashy), or at least that’s the formula. Formula is the key word here.

Caroll escapes to finish his original killing streak literary masterpiece. There was one girl who got away and that just wouldn’t do. What if Poe had never finished The Tell-Tale Heart? The world would surely be left with a heart sized hole somewhere floating among the dark clouds of Baltimore and we would collectively weep for the missing piece. That’s what the ever romantic Caroll would say, maybe. I’m not a crazy psychopath so I could be wrong.

One of the few strays from formula happens when Caroll is captured yet again at the end of the show. He has to orchestrate his lurid blockbuster (he has resigned himself to mass market paperback fiction status this time it seems) from his cell. A mass of followers do his bidding outside the walls of the prison and it will be Hardy’s job to play the foil. Not only to play the foil but to also play the hero. Caroll has planned the redemption of Hardy. I get the feeling it will be a painful rebirth.

You may think that I didn’t like the show but that’s only partly true. I can see the potential that was there when the idea for the show was born but some pieces seem to be forced or missing. As the opening credits flashed on the screen I noticed Kevin Williamson’s name as the writer. This totally feels like a Williamson piece. I happen to really enjoy the Scream series and hold no ill will for Williamson but his fingerprints are all over The Following. He is trying to play the wry commentary and the whole Caroll creating a “story” for Hardy to follow that will include a hero’s journey and eventual redemption through a series of murders that the world will witness is almost too cute. It also seems that all the followers of Caroll were gained through internet chats that caused such fascination in Caroll that the followers will do anything for him, including stabbing themselves in the eye with an ice pick. I know some marketing companies that would kill for that kind of brand messaging over the web. I see a post serial killer career for Caroll in advertising.

I do like the mood of the show and Kevin Bacon brings his A game as Hardy. I may still watch the second episode just to see if things go where expected. There is such a void of horror shows on television that I hate to give up on it so soon. I am in the less is more camp and believe there is no need to push the envelope of bloody violence on television, which The Following is attempting to do already. Poe was always more elegant and imaginative  in his writings so I would think that a serial killer inspired by the writer would do something more creative than ripping the eyes out of his victims. I hope they play up the Poe angle by using more themes found in Poe’s work.

If you like horror movies, serial killer movies and Kevin Bacon, you may enjoy watching The Following. It is somewhat suspenseful and the acting is generally good. James Purefoy is Caroll and plays seductively menacing well. Let’s just hope that the show builds on what promise is there and doesn’t roll about in the muck trying to wax eloquent on wink-wink horror story commentary too wise for its own good. The Following

Oh, one more thing…I got ten bucks that says the Mike Weston character is a Caroll follower in hiding.

 

 

 

Another One Bites the Dust

On By Brandon1 Comment

Another year gone and a new one just begun. Last year I was able to complete my movie screenplay Deadington. It was my first completed screenplay and I feel I learned a lot during the process. I also think it happens to be a pretty good script. Hopefully, someone else will think so as well.
I started a new novel and will continue to work on that this year. Finishing the novel is my main goal of the year and I feel that it is an attainable one. Maybe I can also find an artist to work with on a comic book this year as well, why not shoot for the moon.
I also will try to post some more on this blog. I just need to decide what it is I am going to post. My life is obviously not exciting enough to warrant frequent posts about it. I will continue to post news and new pieces of writing as they happen and am grateful for anyone out there that takes the time to read my scratchings and scribblings. May the new year hold good tidings to you all.

What’s going on?

On By BrandonLeave a comment

Not much. Hence the reason I have not posted recently. I have been busy working on a novel and that is most time consuming. I will try to make a year end post within the next few weeks. I am trying to find an old Christmas story to post and if I manage to find it, will post it for all to see. May the holidays find you full of joy and peppermint mocha. Merry Christmas!

Start With a Scream

On By BrandonLeave a comment

A week into October and the Halloween season is well under way. It’s no secret that Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the air being a bit chillier, the leaves of trees burning bright and the jack-o-laterns grinning on steps. Little monsters come out from hiding and the evenings whisper a promise of treats and scares.

To kick off this Halloween I thought I would you give you some of my picks of movies to watch to get you in the spirit. Sit for a spell, pull up that favorite blanket on your lap and grab a bowl of fresh popcorn. It’s movie night.

  • Halloween: We’ll start with John Carpenter’s masterpiece that birthed a whole genre of horror coined the slasher movie. Tame by today’s standards but brutally effective in the creeping-you-out factor. Not to mention the wonderful score that could easily be the theme for the entire holiday.
  • Monster Squad: You know who to call when you have ghosts, but who do you call when you have monsters? A ragtag group of kids brought together by their love of monsters. These kids are the only ones that are able to stand up to the classic monsters invading their town. Monster Squad is a great cheesy romp through Universal’s classic horror movie line up.
  • The Others: Ghost movies don’t come much creepier then this one. The mood and atmosphere set during the story will have you looking out of the corner of your eye at shifting curtains and swinging doors. Wonderful acting from Nicole Kidman and the kids. The ending will floor you.
  • Dracula: I’m talking about the Bela Lugosi one though the Christopher Lee interpretation isn’t bad either. I could easily throw all of the other Universal classic monsters in here as well, but there’s something about Dracula that sets itself apart.
  • The Ring: Will scare the pants off you. Nuff said.
  • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: The pattern all horror comedies should follow and the good ones have done just that.
  • The Fog: That’s right, Carpenter made the list twice. Terror always knocks. There’s something in the fog. Don’t make the mistake of watching the half-baked remake.
  • It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown: Makes you want to sit in the pumpkin patch and watch for the Great Pumpkin with Linus. Gather your kids around and enjoy a holiday classic.
  • Nightmare Before Christmas: My daughter would not be happy if I didn’t mention this one. The great thing is that you can watch this movie for the next three months. I’m sure it will go down as Tim Burton’s greatest movie and it will be difficult to argue otherwise.
  • Sleepy Hollow: Speaking of Tim Burton. This is Burton’s ode to the Hammer horror movies of old. The story of the headless horseman and the modern detective that is set on solving the mystery. Heads will roll.

That’s all for now. Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween.

Strange Tales

On By BrandonLeave a comment

Amazing how a story can grow to have a life and will of its own. I have been writing a basic outline of a new screenplay and when the outline was finished, the screenplay had morphed into a novel. This was not by design. The story simply decided it wanted to be a novel instead of a screenplay. It’s alive!

I would be surprised if this were the first time such a phenomenon had happened. It has happened before and will no doubt happen again. That’s the thing about stories. With a small beginning and a little nourishment, a story will grow in ways you had never imagined. If you don’t believe me, try it your self sometime.

I am now in the research phase of a novel. This is not the first novel I have attempted to write. I finished a novel several years ago that never found a home and thus was never published. I have made a couple of subsequent attempts at novels which have stalled at various points. My aim is for this one to last for the long haul. Let’s see where the story takes me.

 

Marching On

On By BrandonLeave a comment

Got word that my script Deadington did not make the quarter-finals in the Scriptapalooza contest. I am not devastated, but it certainly would have been nice to place. I will soldier on. I’m sure that I’ll continue to tinker with and fine tune Deadington while I am writing my second script. I am reminded of the words of Calvin Coolidge “Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

In that vein, I present the current logline for Shoot the Devil:

A hunchback hitman takes a job to kill the devil and with the help of a ray gun, a tag-a-long and an angel, he just may succeed, but does he want to?

The Devil and The Hunchback

On By BrandonLeave a comment

What have I been up to? Waiting on word regarding my script Deadington. I submitted it to the Scriptapalozza contest and will find out if I am a quarter finalist late July. I am planning on posting part or all of the Deadington script on the site soon (unless it wins top prize and is sold, of course).

I am writing my second script called Shoot the Devil. I will be posting a tentative logline soon. It is about a hunchback hitman hired to kill the Devil. It has been going slower than I would like but should pick up after this month when I am finished packing and moving to a new residence.

I have been doing some thinking lately and believe that my next scripts will be written for a younger or family audience. I think I could write movies that fit comfortably in the Disney style. It won’t be a dramatic shift for me since my other scripts are by no means vulgar or anything. I try to keep within a PG-13 rating anyway. I enjoy writing kid characters and their wonder of the world around them. Don’t worry, monsters will still show up.