Archive for January, 2013
Jan
16
2013
 
Late Bloomer Raymond Chandler at 40Posted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“Raymond Chandler invented a new way of talking about America, and America has never looked the same to us since.” Paul Auster If we rewind to 1928 and look at a 40-year-old Raymond Chandler, we do not see any proof that he is (or even is becoming) the writer Raymond Chandler. That is the writer [...]
Jan
15
2013
James Bond is Philip MarlowePosted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From Iowa“Ian Flemming was massively influenced by Chandler. So someone like Bond is a reflection of Marlow because he’s dry, he’s ironic, he’s the drinker, he’s the lone wolf. These characters are still with us, they still live on. And they are so totemic in their style that they will never ever age.” Actor Toby Stephens Back [...] “Even on Central Avenue, not the quietest dressed street in the world, he looked about as inconspicuous as a tarantula on a slice of angel food.” Private detective Philip Marlow Farewell, My Lovely written by Raymond Chandler There’s no question that as a writer Raymond Chandler had a voice, but until this weekend I had [...] “Truth is not found in the sunshine, truth is found in the shadows.” Novelist Paul Lieberman (Gangster Squad: Covert Cops, the Mob, and the Battle for Los Angeles) Interview with Jessy Williams “With journalism and with detective work, you’re searching for the narrative. You’re sort of hunting around for the truth of it. It’s really [...] “He [Polanski] said, ‘Johnny, please no diffusion on the lens; I don’t want a Hollywood look.’ So I borrowed an idea that the great Jimmy Wong Howe had told me about. I used Chinese tracing paper to shift the light and color so that it turned beige and gold. Roman liked it.” John Alonzo (Director of [...] “You know what happens to nosey fellas?” Man with the Knife in Chinatown (played by the director Roman Polanski) “Every film I make represents a departure for me. You see, it takes so long to make a film. By the time you get to the next one you’re already a different man. You’ve grown up [...] “I went to Jack (Nicholson) and said ‘What if I wrote a detective story set in L.A. of the ‘30s?’ He said “Great.” The one feeling I had was a desire to try and recreate the city. But that was just the beginning. Then owing to a building project near where I lived, I got [...] “Bob Towne gave me a one-line idea that became Chinatown. We were sitting at Dominic’s restaurant one evening and he said, ‘ I have an idea about a detective told in the thirties when L.A. was a small town, he gets involved with has nothing to do with what he’s really involved with. The real [...]
Jan
04
2013
Great Screenplay = 10 Man YearsPosted by: screenwritingfromiowa in Screenwriting From IowaThough it’s now 2013, this blog continues to get many hits on posts I’ve written about Toy Story 3 which was released in 2010. I’m not one to stop that momentum, so here’s my first Toy Story 3 post of the year: “Andrew Stanton’s rule of thumb is that it takes 10 man-years of labor [...] “The less government interferes with private pursuits, the better for general prosperity.” Martin Van Buren Eighth United States President (1837-1841) Every once in a while I like to touch on 30 second storytelling and Google’s Martin Van Buren spot is brilliant and effective. A classic example of storytelling and simplicity. Pick your paradigm: Beginning, middle, [...] |
