Screenwriting From Iowa

“Every picture tells a story don’t it” Lyrics by Rod Stewart and Ron Wood  My post yesterday stirred up an image in my mind of what I consider the most memorable Sports Illustrated cover ever. It’s of Tony Conigilaro photographed by the great Neil Leifer.  The photo screams drama and begs you to know what happened. […]

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“Listen to the advice of people you trust.” Scott Kelby “This idea of Metallica or some rock n’ roll singer being rich, that’s not necessarily going to happen anymore. Because, as we enter into a new age, maybe art will be free.” Francis Ford Coppola Yesterday SmugMug Films released the above video on photographer, author […]

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“There’s no one to tell you it’s bad. So in your own grandiosity and pride tells you—’Wow this is great; it couldn’t be any better. I think the audience would be comfortable with a two-hour-twenty-minute comedy. Why not?’ Then you show it to your studio or producers and they go, ‘Ooooh. That’s a little long…do […]

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“I would never write about someone who was not at the end of his rope.” Stanley Elkin I’ve always been fond of the above quote by Elkin and I thought I’d add some movies that I know are not only about characters at the end of their ropes, but movies that as of last night […]

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Harold Ramis was one of the co-screenwriters of Back to School so I dug around on the internet to find the most class like talk Ramis gave and this is what I found:

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“More than anyone else, Harold Ramis has shaped this generation’s ideas of what is funny.” Paul Weingarten The Chicago Tribune Magazine in 1983 When it was announced a few days ago that Harold Ramis died I wondered how many people first thought of Ghostbusters which he co-wrote and co-starred in. The film came in second […]

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 ”I’m a writer-director-actor, which I’ve always kind of enjoyed. I compared it to the Olympic biathlon. “Not only can he cross-country ski, but he’s a terrific marksman as well.” Writer-director-actor Harold Ramis “Harold Ramis and I together did the ‘National Lampoon Show’ off Broadway, ‘Meatballs,’ ‘Stripes,’ ‘Caddyshack,’ ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Groundhog Day.’ He earned his keep […]

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“I like to say a prayer and drink to world peace.” Phil (Bill Murray) in Groundhog Day Written by Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin If you’ve never seen Groundhog Day, all you need to know to appreciate the scene above is Bill Murray’s character is an unhappy SOB who magically is reliving the same day […]

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“I can barely watch [Caddyshack]. All I see are a bunch of compromises and things that could have been better. Like, it bothers me that nobody except Michael O’Keefe can swing a golf club. A movie about golf with the worst bunch of golf swings you’ve ever seen! It doesn’t bother golfers, though.” Harold Ramis GQ/Harold […]

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“Find out what attracted you to the story. Try to find out the essential theme and forget everything else. Try to place the theme in another context with the situations and characters. Many of the best directors really only make one story over and over again, they find new circumstances into which to set their […]

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