Academy Awards

#ThinkpieceThursday – Where are the Women?

#ThinkpieceThursday – Split Best Director

The Hurt Locker – Power of Idealism

#TypesTuesday – The Hurt Locker & The Power of Idealism are an Oscar worthy combination

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Power of Conscience at the Oscars

#TypesTuesday – 2013’s awards season film featured several compelling Power of Conscience characters

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Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Some books just don’t make good movies, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a prime example.

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The Descendants

I found the film predictable, lacking in character development, with a script that continually tells us rather than shows us.

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The Artist

Writer-director Michael Hazanavicius is one of the rare filmmaker-artists whose pictures are worth a thousand words.

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Hugo

Characters that exist to advance a plot tell us nothing about the human condition.

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Iron Lady

Meryl Streep gives a tremendous performance in IRON LADY– but the film ultimately didn’t work because it has no point of view.

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Dogtooth – Day Two – #40movies40days

Last night I saw Dogtooth, the 2011 Academy Award nominated Best Foreign Language Film from Greece. There’s going to be no rhyme or reason in selecting the films for my 40 movies in 40 days project. I’ve decided to go wherever the spirit leads me.

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The King’s Speech

The King’s Speech is a wonderful film with brilliantly drawn Power of Conscience and Power of Idealism characters in constant tension and conflict.

Oscar Nominated PDF Screenplays Here

#WritingAdviceWednesday – Raindance has posted the 2010 and 2011 Oscar-nominated screenplays for both original screenplay and adapted screenplay.

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McKee on 2011 Best Screenplay

Here is Robert McKee’s views on Best Screenplay and on stories based on history, fact or actual people’s lives. Like McKee, I believe that a writer’s first duty is to the emotional truth of the story, not factual accuracy. That’s why it’s FICTION.

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Hope-ful survey on the state of indie films

#ThinkpieceThursday – Ted Hope presents a glowing outlook on the state of the independent film business.

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“King’s Speech” and “Fighter” lead the SAG Awards

The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards have been announced. What do you think?

Film

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Natalie Portman, Black Swan

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Colin Firth, The King’s Speech

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Melissa Leo, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale, The Fighter

Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble
Inception

Television

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (TV Drama)
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Comedy Series
Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (TV Comedy)
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (TV Comedy)
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Miniseries/TV Movie)
Al Pacino, You Don’t Know Jack

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It Never Gets Easier

Here is the good news and the bad news about being a writer– “It never gets any easier.” Every writer from an Academy Award winner to a complete beginner face the same challenges, obstacles and terrors

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Idealism Wins at the Oscars

Pixar won the 2009 Oscar for Best Animated Feature with Up. All seven Pixar films released since the creation of the category have been nominated. Five have taken home the Oscar: Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, and Up. Three of those five Oscar winners— Up, The Incredibles and Ratatouille— are Power of Idealism films.

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Two Oscar Contenders – Up In The Air and The Hurt Locker

Two of the most talked about characters in Oscar-nominated pictures this year are emotionally damaged men deployed to handle bombs in people’s lives. Their approaches to this assignment are very different.

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