That horrific moment you realise a film already exists similar to the one you're trying to write...

Writing can be a bit of a struggle at times.  You can often find you have the time, but not the inspiration, to get anything down.  Or if you've got ideas but life keeps throwing other stuff in your way, you can't get anything down on paper.  At least, that's what I find anyway.  As I stated last week I've been finding things very slow going creatively in recent weeks - last week I discovered something which, to say the least, hasn't exactly encouraged me to press on.

I'm a subscriber to Empire Magazine, and whilst flipping through the latest issue last week I had one of those moments where you want to exclaim, quite loudly 'Oh, for f**k's sake!!!' and put your head in your hands.  Reading through their article of movies available to watch On Demand, I came across this description for a 2011 Swedish Horror Film entitled 'Marianne':

"In Swedish writer-director Filip Tegstedt's chilling debut, the death of a cheating husband's wife causes him to have terrifying visions of a nocturnal visitor, drawn from Swedish folklore, threatening not only his sleep, but his sanity.  But is the creature, as his psychiatrist believes, an expression of his own guilt?"

My reaction is understandable, if you recall the brief outline I published for 'The Harrowed Man', the horror film I am (trying to) write:

It is about someone who loses their wife and 4 year old child in a car crash, which he survived. Whilst struggling to carry on with his life, coping with his grief and a creeping feeling of guilt that he survived when they did not, he begins to be haunted by a terrifying figure. This figure not only feeds the man's feelings of guilt, but it also physically attacks him, each encounter more dangerous than the last.
With the support of his sister, and a grief counsellor (who believe that the man's injuries from these attacks are self afflicted), he realises he must confront this figure, in order to overcome his grief and guilt.
But this figure is not merely trying to hurt the man - it wants to make him remember things he has suppressed from his memory...

As you can appreciate, this isn't the sort of news to inspire someone who has been in the creative doldrums of late...

However! - I decided that, before I simply throw my idea out of the water entirely, I would investigate this seemingly identical movie further.  Thankfully, I found some key differences:

• In 'Marianne' the main character only loses his wife but not his children.  In 'The Harrowed Man' he loses his wife and only son.
• In 'Marianne' the main character is only attacked at night (the film is apparently trying to touch on 'sleep paralysis').  In 'The Harrowed Man', the main character won't really be safe at any time of day - even though some incidents will be at night and relate to dreams.
• In 'Marianne' the main character struggles to rebuild his relationship with his children following his wife's death.  In 'The Harrowed Man' the main character's struggles are with himself and trying to adapt back to a 'normal' life.

Also, from watching the trailers, it appears 'Marianne' plays down horror staples such as special effects, and is shot in a low key way - 'The Harrowed Man' would definitely require some effects and more stylised filming to realise certain elements.  On top of that, I don't believe the film is widely seen outside of Sweden anyway...

Besides that, I'm torn between whether to watch 'Marianne' or not: part of me wants to, to affirm that it's different to my film script; the other part doesn't, unless it unduly influences it (or proves that my idea is too similar for its own good).!

Ultimately though it hasn't deterred me from writing my script, which is just as well.

I just need to get time and inspiration to do so....

6 months on - a progress report. Or lack thereof...

Well, it's been about 6 months since I started this blog - time I guess to see how I'm getting on. The (somewhat depressing) summary is: not that great so far :-/

So, looking backwards over my objectives for the few years before my impending 40th, here's where I've got to:

Buy a House: this is a bit immeasurable at the moment, as progress towards this will be slow. On the positive side, our financial situation should improve gradually from this month and over the next couple of years, so steps are being taken, which is the most positive bit of progress.

Improve my career prospects: sadly, I'm not having much success with this at the moment. Still, I have a job, and in the current economic climate I'm not complaining otherwise!

Write...something else: err, nothing to report here! I keep mulling over ideas, but seeing as I can't even get on with my primary writing objective...

Write a film script: I've not really made any progress with this - partly because work has been pretty intense over the last few months, so I've not had a lot of time and inclination to write; also, I've realised I have absolutely no idea about the final act for this film, which doesn't help! Literally all I've done is, mentally at least, amend one scene.

However, I recently talked through my 'Third Act' dilemma with my wife and I think it has helped, as some ideas have begun forming in my head. My priority now is to keep jotting down ideas for scenes, then order them in to a structure I can work from. So watch this space...

So, while my progress with some of my objectives is slow (non existent in some areas! :-/ ), it's just as well I've another 3 1/2 years to crack on...

A Separation, of sorts...

Hello, well things have been quiet of late on my Blog front, mainly because work has been horrendously busy (we are down to one team member, i.e. me, at a time when several big projects have been due, joy!).  As a result, I've not had much in the way of time or inspiration for creativity, so I've not been writing either [sadface].

However, it has struck me that I want to write more about films, on top of the ones that have influenced me and the one I'm writing (very, very slowly) - to that end I've set up a new blog, which will just be for writing about films.  So there'll be articles about films that have had a big impact on me, idle speculation about future films, and reviews of whatever film(s) I happen to have seen lately ...when I have time/motivation... 

From henceforth, all my film-related blogging will take place here:

http://justanotherfilmgeek.blogspot.co.uk/


Anyway, the film script is still on the agenda - I'll hopefully have more time and inspiration to carry on with it once things quieten down at work...

I've actually been writing...

Yes, I've even surprised myself - last week was quite a creatively fertile week for me.  I had a positive break through in terms of how I'm going to approach finalising the structure for 'The Harrowed Man's outline, and I've put some things down for that.  On top of that, I have written something else - a very (very!) short script, which I present here for your perusal.

Before you read, I've got to admit this came out of a couple of nights of disturbed sleep, having dreams where I literally felt like someone was in my bedroom, and I couldn't let them know I was there.  A warning to you all: this is what happens when you read the 'Nightmare Fuel' page on TV Tropes before going to sleep...

Anyway, here's my little vignette, which I quickly thrashed out over a few 10-minute train journeys to and from work last week.  Enjoy!

[INT.] [NIGHT]

(A dark bedroom.  All is silent.  The camera shows the perspective is of the bed's occupant.  After several moments we hear the padding footsteps of a small child, running barefoot from one side of the room to the other.  However, there is no one to be seen.)

[Man (V.O.)] There's been someone in my room again.  I heard them.  It's not a dream, I'm sure.

(The camera pans slowly around the room, lingering on shadowy recesses, where there is a fading suggestion of a figure.)

[Man (V.O.)] Whoever it is, I think they are still here - they're in the shadows.  Or maybe - 

(the camera swings back to the side of the bed)

[Man (V.O.)] - they're right beside me?

(There is no one there.  The bed covers slowly begin to draw up over the camera, as though the bed;s occupant is pulling them over his head.)

[Man (V.O.)] But there shouldn't be anyone here.  After all, it's been two months since she left, with Jack.

(The camera turns, as though the occupant is now laying on his side, facing the empty side of the bed.)

[Man (V.O.)] He would wake me during the night.  Sometimes I'd hear his footsteps.  Sometimes I wouldn't wake until he was stood right beside me.

(The camera shifts, as though the occupant has sat up, looking at the doorway in the corner.

[Man (V.O.)] Even though he has gone with her, I'm still waking up with someone stood beside me.

(The suggestion of a shadow slowly emerges from the doorway, gradually moving closer to the side of the bed the man is in.)

[Man (V.O.)] I know I there can't be anyone there, but there IS a shadow, like the outline of someone.

(The sheets pull up over the camera, and it shifts as though the bed's occupant has laid down again.

[Man (V.O.)] So then I think, am I still dreaming?  There CAN'T be anyone there.  And I'm afraid, so I cover myself, to hide under my bed sheets.  I dare to glance - 

(the cover slowly lift)

[Man (V.O.)] - and I tell myself I AM still asleep, dreaming, because there CAN'T be anyone there - and there ISN'T.

(the covers go to reveal the figure is not there.)

[Man (V.O.)] So, if there's really no one there - why do I still feel like there is?

(The camera tilts as though the bed's occupant is laying on their side again.

[Man (V.O.)] I lay there, trying to convince myself I'm alone, really.

(A few moments pass.)

(Then there is the sound of running footsteps, from one side of the room to the other.)

[Man (V.O.)] But then the footsteps begin again.

(The camera rapidly tilts up, as though the occupant is now sitting up abruptly.  It then begins to pan from side to side, slowly)

[Man (V.O.)] And I'm searching the dark, again.

[Man (V.O.)] I KNOW they're still here.

(There is a suggestion of a shadowy outline.  The camera snaps back, but it is not there.

[Man (V.O.)] And I begin to wonder why someone is in my room when I should be alone.  Perhaps they don't realise I'm here.  OR, I hope they don't.

(The sheets begin to draw up over the camera.)

[Man (V.O.)] SO I hide, not allowing any part of the my body to be seen  I have a great fear that, if I leave an arm or leg hanging out, I'm sure whoever is in my room will find me.  And I don't want to know what will happen to me if they do.

(Slowly the sheets lift off the camera, and there is a shadow of a figure stood at the side of the bed.  Suddenly the camera jerks forward and it moves as though the bed's occupant is being dragged off the bed, on to and across the floor, in to the darkness outside the room.)

[CUT TO: The camera suddenly returns to the perspective of the bed's occupant, under the covers, as before.]

[Man (V.O.)] But this is crazy.  There is NO ONE here but me; I AM alone.  These shadows must be my imagination.

(The covers lower and the camera scans the room for shadow, before the perspective changes as the the bed's occupant is laying down.)

[Man (V.O.)] Perhaps it's because I've not got used to being alone.  Perhaps I don't want to.

(The camera turns as the bed's occupant has rolled on to their side, to view the other side of the bed, which is empty.)

[Man (V.O.)] When you've lived with someone for that long - 7, no 8 years - you're not going to find this ...loneliness normal.

[Man (V.O.)] So I guess I've made these things up - the sounds, the shadows, so I don't feel like I'm on my own now.

[Man (V.O.)] I don't know what's more frightening.

(Several moments silence.  Then there is the sound of footsteps.  The camera adjusts as thought the bed's occupant has sat up.  The footsteps continue from one side of the bed to the other, the camera following them as they go around the other side of the bed.  Then the footsteps become running footsteps, back to the other side of the bedroom.  The camera pans slowly back to the other side of the bed.  There is someone laying next to the occupant, their back to him, the covers up over their head.

[Man (V.O.)] If this is just in my head then it's because I need someone with me.

[Man (V.O.)] But if it's not, I'm not really alone, the thought that scare me most is what do they want of me?

(The other person in the bed slowly turns over, pulling the sheets down, to reveal a female face, but with dark shadowy pits where the eyes and mouth should be.  They move towards the camera, closer and closer, until the shadowy pits swallow all in darkness.)

END

Thank you for reading!  All there is to say for now is: nite nite, pleasant dreams..! :-p

The Matrix Sequels - 10 Years on...

I'm back with a post, unfortunately no new writing to report - I've had a bit of an uninspired patch lately, my creative get-up-and-go seemed to have got up and went! Anyway, I apologise for using that clichéd joke - I've not completely dried up as I've a couple of ideas that have sprung to mind in the last couple of days; I just need some time to sit down and wrestle them in to my (still non-existent) story plan.

In the meantime, I thought I'd write about some more films, and as this month marks 10 years since the release of the first of the two sequels to 'The Matrix', I felt it an appropriate time to reflect on them.

They are, with some justification, widely regarded as two of the most disappointing sequels ever filmed. Whilst their flaws are pretty apparent, I believe there are redeeming features to them which shouldn't be entirely dismissed. I recently decided to watch them both back-to-back (it was actually the first time I'd watched 'Reloaded' since it was in the cinemas), and here are my thoughts on them.

I'll start with 'The Matrix Reloaded'; elements of this film have been widely derided, and viewing it ten years later hasn't dulled these. Firstly, there's the Zion Rave scene - a miss-handled attempt to show why humanity is worth fighting for and warring for its salvation. Only, it does look pretty laughable, especially interwoven with a particularly unconvincing sex-scene... There is also the Architect scene, famously parodied on more than one occasion - the revelation this delivered about Neo and his role in the Matrix should have hit like a Vader-sized bombshell; but because of the ostentatious, overly-verbose and slightly pretentious speech the Architect delivers it is robbed of its power. This speech requires multiple viewings to really get your head round, and while I think any film that is designed to encourage and reward repeat viewings with an enhanced understanding of its message, if the majority of the audience can't follow it on the first viewing then it's kind of failed to achieve it's point.

Aside from these glaringly obvious problem points, I think 'Reloaded's biggest problems are its structure/pacing, and the heavy-handedness with which it presents the philosophical points the makers want to get across. Probably the worst example of this is early on in the film when Neo and Councillor Hamann have a conversation about the machinery which powers Zion - who is in control, the humans or the machines? It does nothing to advance the plot, and is the equivalent of hitting the audience over the head with the film's philosophy: 'freedom of choice is an illusion!!! Or is it?!?!'

This is a shame, as (like the preceding film) there are some neat visual metaphors for this, in the shape of doors (...lots of doors, as Neo might say ;-) ) - some of which lead the characters to places they might not expect; and as in the first film, this imagery is underpinned by Don Davis' great score. So while all of this unsubtle and thinly veiled philosophical exposition is taking place, you can forgive the audience for thinking 'Christ's sake, get to the Kung Fu already!!!'

This is where the weight of expectation was always going against the film - its predecessor redefined a lot of action cinema beats, with the gun play and fight scenes, and the ground breaking introduction of 'Bullet Time'. Perhaps there was no way the sequels could have improved on that, or even matched it really - but part of the desire for these sequels was to see more of the great action, so it was frustrating for the audience to have to wait for it - and to be honest, it still is, 10 years on. But when we get to the action sequences, it does deliver (mostly) - the 'Burly Brawl' and Freeway sequence are still, by and large, two well executed and at times jaw-dropping sequences.

Finally, the two-part structure of these sequels is another thing that impacts upon 'Reloaded' - the ending is far from satisfying, and leaves unanswered questions; okay, so it IS a cliff-hanger - but the sudden turn of having Neo sucked in to the Matrix without being plugged in is a twist which at that point doesn't make sense.

So it was down to the final Sequel, 'Revolutions', to redeem the two-hander. It clearly wasn't entirely successful doing this, as it is regarded as a disappointment like 'Reloaded'. It has similar pacing issues - the introduction, with Neo stuck in the train station, doesn't clarify things really, and the attack in the S&M club just feels like a dispassionate re-tread of the previous film's better action sequences; also, the reasons for Neo being sucked in to the Matrix just don't ever seem to be defined in a clear and satisfying manner.

Also, the ending is not entirely clear or satisfying - especially as the first film seems to set up a conclusion which would have Neo lead the rebellion to eventually defeat the machines and free all of humanity from The Matrix.  But there are clues as to why the film heads to this conclusion: firstly, in the suggestion that programs in the Matrix are individual intelligence's in their own right, capable of creating 'life', so in effect are a species of sentient being worthy of survival; secondly, visual clues, such as the big freakin' (and painfully heavy looking!) ear-rings worn by The Oracle.

I'm not saying that the Wachowski's execution of their message was particularly great - but at the same time I think audience expectations were pretty much confounded by the ending; I for one wasn't expecting it. But looking back and re-considering the signals and imagery that leads to it, there are certain elements of the story telling which mean the conclusion does make sense.  This article on Ain't It Cool, published towards the end of last year, hit the nail on the head for me - these two films have quite a strong anti-war message, where the conflict does not lead to a clear victory for either side; rather a peaceful balance is what should be aimed for - two sides co-existing side-by-side without war.  Whilst I disagree with the writer's assertion that The Wachowski's most probably changed the direction of the sequels to reinforce this message as a result of 9/11 (the films were already well in to production before those terrible atrocities), I think, in retrospect, this is what they were wanting to convey with these films.  Whilst this is a laudable message, as a way to conclude an action and conflict packed block-buster trilogy, it's understandable why they are still viewed as a disappointment.

So, having set out the many flaws of these Sequels, I still find myself wanting to watch them from time-to-time.  Yes, despite their myriad problems, there is still so much to enjoy about them.  I personally find 'Revolutions' the better of the two films - aside from it being the more satisfying in terms of story-telling as the conclusion, it features one of my favourite action sequences of the last decade: The Battle for Zion.  In the midst of all the Kung-fu fights, this Japanese Anime and Mecha influenced action scene was a pleasant surprise.  I love the design of the Battle-suits, the way they're portrayed on screen, the little details of them pulling the guns from their backs, with big belts of bullets feeding ammo to them.  The scenario, the desperate last stand, is well realised, making it a gripping sequence.  If I ever flick through the channels and find this film is on, and it is about to start this sequence, I will always leave it on that channel and watch it.  When I watch it, I am once again sucked in to that world and for a few minutes, completely forgetting about the real world.  That is the mark of a great fantasy setting, whether it is sci-fi or any other setting - and that is why, despite their problems, I'll keep going back to The Matrix Sequels.

'The Harrowed Man' - not necessarily just a Film Script any longer..?

My silence these last few weeks is partly due to having a week away, then returning to work to a backlog of tasks, nice! :-( ); also I've been mulling over a few things with the Film Script, mainly in terms of structure (I'm still a bit stumped over the final act).

But I've been having another significant thought regarding 'The Harrowed Man'; I might actually write it as a Novel instead of a Film.

This is basically down to my writing style as I've been drafting scenes for the Treatment - I find it easier to write in quite a descriptive way with a fair amount of details; I think that working backwards to slim the treatment to 3-4 sides of paper will be challenging.

At the moment it's an idea I'm considering, if nothing else - like I said I feel I've got to nail the structure and transition of each scene/act before I write anymore on the treatment, so by the time I get that done I may well have abandoned the Novel idea anyway!

On top of this, I've just had another Big Idea, and that has been vying with 'The Harrowed Man' for my creative attention - but I'll post some details about that at a later date...

Meet the 'Harrowed Man'...

Well I'm going away for a few days tomorrow, but I thought before I left I'd share the latest bit of writing on the Script Treatment.  I'd like you to meet the figure I'm calling the 'Harrowed Man':

David wakes fitfully from a dream in which his wife was screaming at him and his son was sobbing hysterically.  As he comes to in his dark bedroom the sound of his son sobbing begins again; David calls out to his son repeatedly until the sobbing stops.  He sits up at the side of his bed, still coming out of sleep, before being jolted by the sound of his son’s bedroom door slamming.  Then there are the light footsteps of a child running along the hall in to the bathroom.  David leans forward, peering out of the doorway in to the darkness of the hall, unable to see anything.

Then there is a sound of breaking glass in the bathroom, and his son begins crying again.  David stands, calls for his son – “it’s okay, Daddy is here, it’s ok” – then warily makes his way down the corridor.  As he nears the doorway of the bathroom he notices fragments of broken mirror glistening on the floor.

He reaches the door of the bathroom, and his son stops crying.  He reaches for the light, hesitating for a moment before switching it on.  When the light comes on, the ‘Harrowed Man’ is stood in front of him in the bathroom, barely a foot away.

The Harrowed Man is tall, deathly thin with ribs showing through skin that is lifeless and marked with scars and bruising.  Rope-like twists of scarring snake along his flesh, red and brown, over his body, disfiguring the skin wherever they cross.  His face is like an emaciated corpse, the lips split back in a hateful sneer; his white, cataract-filled eyes glaring hatefully out of dark, lidless pits.  His is a face that exudes death, hatred and anger.

David gasps and recoils in shock, seemingly frozen where he stands.

Then the Harrowed Man lunges forward, shoving David, sending him tumbling violently down the stairs.

It's not his first appearance in the script, but it was the first time he made an appearance in my head, so to speak! I've been writing other parts to the treatment too, and will post some excerpts at a later date.  Until then, thanks for reading!

The Most Relentlessly Awesome Films Ever: Aliens

So, as promised, here is the first of my articles about films that I love:

THE MOST RELENTLESSLY AWESOME FILMS, EVER - PART ONE

'ALIENS' (1986)

'This Time, It's War...'

I'm going to come right out and make a very bold statement:  I seriously believe there is a case to be made that this film is THE Greatest Movie of the 1980's.  I'll state why below, but I think I should acknowledge that as I write the 1980's are a period very much on everyone's minds at the moment following the death of one of the key figures of that era, Margaret Thatcher.  Her politics define that era (for good and bad), and in many ways there are echoes of this in 'Aliens': privatisation, corporate greed over-looking communities, military interventions...  This movie is very much of its time - a bold reflection of it - but at the same time it peels back the skin and isn't afraid to comment on the ills beneath.  While it has the same gung-ho attitude of many action films of the era - and of leading politicians - it also subverts and often challenges them.

But this film is not just great because of the sub-text: it is a master-work of character writing, production design, atmosphere, tension and edge-of-your-seat action.  I first saw this movie when I was 10, and it had a profound effect on me.  For a start, it was seriously cool - you had these awesome Colonial Marines running around with their kick-ass tech; these designs were enormously iconic, and it is hard to imagine that so many beloved Sci-fi settings, across so many platforms (movies, video games, collectable miniatures & games) would have existed without the Colonial Marines as their template.

Ripley and some 'Absolute Bad-asses'...

Next, this film really creeped me out.  The scenes when the Marines touched down on the seemingly abandoned colony (remember, this was in the days before the Special Edition, so there was no glimpse in to life on the colony prior to the infestation), with the evidence of the desperate and horrific battle that had taken place there, really fuelled my imagination.  Although you didn't see what happened to the colonists, the few suggestions of their battle for survival made it seem all the more terrifying.  This was a case of how movies can use the power of suggestion to make something all the more frightening (and as 2011's 'The Thing' Prequel proved, sometimes imagining how an horrific event occurred is actually more frightening than seeing it).  And this is before you even get to the Aliens themselves, and their nests!

Finally, despite Sigourney Weaver's misgivings about the amount of gunplay in the movie, Ripley in this movie is one of my all-time favourite action heroes.  At a time when Schwarzenegger, Stallone et al were taking on entire armies armed with usually nothing more than their muscles and a knife, Ripley seemed the greatest of all of them - more determined, more driven, and tougher somehow.  The fact that she went in to the Alien's nest on her own, with none of the Military Training of the Marines, despite her fear of the Xenomorphs, just made her seem all the more heroic.  The fact she was a woman was kind of secondary; some people look at other kick-ass action women in some films as a bit of a gimmick, or debate whether there are enough empowering roles for women in those kinds of films.  Because of Ripley in this film, I've never seen female action heroes in neither way - I've always been able to accept them without a second thought, and that is because Ripley was such a great character in 'Aliens' that the fact she's a woman is not an obstacle to accepting her as an action hero.  In fact, it's arguable her gender brings another level to it, which I'll discuss later.

So aside from the fact that this is a highly regarded movie, widely lauded as one of the best sequels of all time - and a damn classic film in it's own right - what is it that would justify my claim of it being The Greatest Movie of its decade?  I think it's down to it being very much in the vein of prevalent action movie ideals of the era, but at the same time rising above (most) stereotypes and even managing to cast a critical (perhaps even satirical) eye over these and the politics of the period.

To start with, let's look at the Colonial Marines themselves.  These men and women would not have been out of place in pretty much any other '80's action-fest - they'd stand shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Rambo or John Matrix, and more than hold their own.  'Grunts' though they were, the script and acting allowed each to have their own distinct character and personality, regardless of screen time.  And, man, they had quality scripting - these soldiers remain amongst the most endlessly quotable characters until this very day.  I've often thought that as well as 'Talk Like a Pirate' Day there should be 'Talk Like a Colonial Marine' Day!  It's this level of writing and characterisation which elevates these 'Grunts' from the usual cannon-fodder of these types of films.  Of course, some are more significant characters than others, but each one is an example of how a good script and acting can elevate even the smallest of characters/roles.

At the same time, there is a slight subversion of the gung-ho action hero - after their losses from the first confrontation with the Xenomorphs, the survivors are not the same as before, most notably Hudson who has a (in retrospect, slightly humorous) breakdown.  I think this is a reflection of what was happening in US Cinema at the time and the decade leading up to it, as films began to tentatively explore the Vietnam war, and its effects on those that fought in it.  Although some films in the '80's seemed to be hankering for a re-fight of this war, after a couple of more reflective films such as 'The Deer Hunter' in the '70's, after 'Aliens' the likes of 'Platoon', 'Full Metal Jacket' and 'Born on the Fourth of July' came along. Now, I'm not saying that 'Aliens' influenced or paved the way for these films - and it certainly didn't stop the continuation of macho blockbusters - but it is interesting that cinema audiences were open to more introspective takes on the war after 'Aliens'.

The interesting thing about James Cameron's movies is that he seems to have a dual fascination for the military (check out the toys he gave these Colonial Marines and the Military forces of Avatar), whilst at the same time being fearful and critical of what military leadership means. Despite their cool toys and hi-tech equipment, the Colonial Marines are easily taken down by the Xenomorphs - all whilst their commanding officer Gorman can only issue orders they can't hear or simply ignore.  A military resolution may have seemed like the best solution to this situation (and perhaps total extermination by nuke still is!), but it proved to be fatal.  This idea that military leadership and reliance on military can only lead to needless and ultimately costly confrontation is a recurrent theme of Cameron's, from 'The Terminator', through this, 'The Abyss', and most recently 'Avatar'.

The next subversion of the gung-ho action movies of the time is in Ripley herself; obviously, first of all, because in the era of steroidal he-men, the principal hero is actually a woman.  It's not so much this which makes her remarkable, it is her drive, determination and resilience - despite her obvious fears and vulnerability - in the final act which makes her an action hero who is more believable and relatable than almost every Stallone, Schwarzenegger or Lundgren character of that era.  Whilst some might critique Ripley in this film in terms of the feminine or maternal psyche, at the end of the day she is a grieving parent who has found an opportunity of redemption in the girl Newt.  If you're a parent I think you can relate to this, regardless of your gender.

'Get away from her, you BITCH!!!'

The other way that this movie both reflects, and subverts, one of the prevalent ideas of the time is the portrayal of growing Corporate influence and power of everyone's lives.  Right from the start of the film the privatisation of Space is abundantly apparent; the first lines mention 'The Company', there are corporate logos recurrent on the space station where Ripley convalesces, and all over the Colony on LV 426.  This background presence completely echoes what was happening in reality during that decade; there was an explosion of Privatisation, especially in the UK but in many other countries around the world also, as many industries were sold to be run by Corporations.  This did create opportunities for quite a few people become wealthy - however the downside was job losses in some areas, and a questioning of the ethics of many companies.

So in 'Aliens', the corporate sponsored colonisation and exploration of space provides opportunities for people to make money - it is, after all, a family of explorers, looking to stake a claim on a new discovery that inadvertently set off the events of the film.  However, just as Corporations are criticised for being monolithic, impersonal entities that put profits before people and environment, it is revealed that the 'discovery' was in fact orchestrated BY the Company.  In the decade where 'Greed was Good', this film demonstrates there is likely to be a human cost.  Corporate greed is given a face by Carter Burke, Weyland Yutani's representative, who would happily sacrifice Ripley, Newt and the military crew, to ensure he gets his financial bonus.  At this point the film perhaps becomes heavy handed with this subversion - but it reinforces at an individual level that this sort of financial greed can make people lose sight of the value of other human beings.  Greed is not always good...

There is one other reason why I think you can argue that this film is the greatest of its decade: I've entitled this series of articles 'The Most Relentlessly Awesome Films', and I think the first part of that statement completely fits this film.  It is relentlessly gripping, tense, and above all entertaining, right from the start.  If someone asked me what my favourite scene is in the film I honestly couldn't pick one, as continuously throughout the film there is something in pretty much every scene which is great: whether it is the script, the cast, the cinematography and lighting, the outstanding and iconic production design, the fantastic special effects work (which has by and large stood the test of time), the spot-on score which hits every beat from terror to heroism, there is always something to remark upon.

Briefly, which version do I prefer?  The extended Special Edition is more complete, giving more background to Ripley (making her attachment to Newt more understandable), and we get the iconic Sentry Guns sequence.  However the Theatrical, original version does not suffer for the cutting of these moments - it definitely gives the film more depth though, so as a fan I'd say I prefer the Special Edition.

So those are my thoughts on a truly great film.  I'll try and post one of these articles every month or 6 weeks.  I hope you've found it an interesting read, but most of all I hope it has inspired you to go back and revisit this masterpiece - or watch it for the first time if you've never seen it...

Coming soon: more stuff about, err, films...

While I'm talking about trying to write a Film, you'll have to excuse me indulging myself from time to time writing about films that I like.  Sometimes I'll write about films which have been a direct influence on the one I'm trying to write, in other cases I'll write about a film simply because I love it.

This will be an occasional detour from writing about what this blog's really about - but I think it's excusable as it's film related!  So at some point over the next few days I am going to post the first of an occasional series, which I will entitle (with no small amount of modesty and ultra-geeky hyperbole :D )...

'THE MOST RELENTLESSLY AWESOME FILMS, EVER.'

I’ll post the first of these soon, as well as some more ruminations on my own in-progress script (which, yes, I have actually been writing and working on!).  Come back soon for more!

When Horror Films get it wrong, #341: Wolf Creek

In a previous Blog post, I mentioned how with my Film Script I'm going to try to avoid the clichés and frequent problems which often crop up in Horror Films.  Here's an example of a case in point:

I've just been reading about the currently-in-production sequel to 2005 Australian Horror Film, 'Wolf Creek'. The sequel is going to be called - brace yourself for shock at the originality and creativity on display - 'Wolf Creek 2'. Seeing as I recently wrote about some of my inspirations for my own Horror Movie Script, and also mentioned some of what I was trying to avoid, I thought I'd briefly discuss Wolf Creek as an example of what annoys me about some horror movies, and as an example of the kind of things I'm going to try my hardest to avoid with my script.

If you've not seen this film, I should give a big SPOILERS!!! warning right now, as I'll discuss a significant plot point. Basically, the premise of the film is three young backpackers holidaying in the Australian Outback, who encounter a psychopath who kidnaps, tortures, and picks them off one-by-one. All cheery stuff!

Wolf Creek's psycho, Mick Taylor: 'Crocodile Dundee' parody, or just a tw*t?  My money's on the latter...

My problem with the film is when one of the victims, having previously managed to escape from said psycho, ends up back at his base camp, knowing he is most likely trailing her.

Now, before I go further, I just want to do a little intelligence test with you, my dear readers:

If you were being pursued by a homicidal maniac, which of the two places would you choose to hide in:

a) somewhere full of weaponry, so you can arm yourself and blow the bastard's head off when he comes near you; or

b) somewhere where there are more places you could count where he could sneak up on you, so is 100% guaranteed to catch you and murder you in a significantly unpleasant way?

Now, I'm assuming any normal, sane person of average intelligence would answer a resounding 'A!'.

The problem is, the whoever wrote Wolf Creek seems to think people are in some way inherently stupid, as they had their characters do the second option. Having already established that the psycho has a shack which has more weaponry stored in it than your average American Survivalist gun-nut, in Wolf Creek the victim stated above chooses to hide in a different shack - one full of cars and other items, apparently belonging to the psychopaths previous victims.

There is absolutely no reason why a rational person would make the choice the writers of Wolf Creek had this victim make; I appreciate that when someone is frightened they will more than likely not be thinking entirely rationally, but in this case the only reason for this decision seems to me about simply making a plot point: 'Look! This nasty psychopath has been killing people for years because he's in the middle of nowhere - and he'll keep on doing it because no one can find him!!!1!one'

I'm sorry, but it is lazy, unimaginative story telling of the lowest order: having a character make an illogical decision for no other reason than the writers wanted to make a point about the movie's antagonist.

Now, I'm not saying that the writers SHOULDN'T have sought to make this point about the main antagonist - it clearly reinforces what an evil bastard he is. I really believe that they could have done so in a much better way, at a different point in the film.

I think this example underlines for me a problem horror movies often have - making people do dumb things just to keep the story going. These have been pointed out and parodied in the likes of 'Scream', but still horror movies keep making their protagonists do daft things. There's a difference between a person doing something dumb because they're scared and not thinking straight, and doing something just to keep a film going.

I'm sure anyone being pursued by a homicidal psychopath would choose to blow the fooker's head off if it meant being able to get away..! I know I would, in anycase. Or maybe that's just the way that I think... :-D

So. It begins...

I hope you've had a good Easter - I've now come down with something approaching man-flu which is not great.  Anyway, I had intended to post this last week but ran out of time.  But here is a first draft of the opening scene from the treatment I'm working on.

A secluded rural road, shrouded in fog, and silent. The bare branches of trees reach out like ghostly, skeletal fingers as a man, David, runs past. His breathing is frantic, each one like a short sob. This and his footsteps are the only sound, until indistinct noises begin to filter through the mist: the hum of an engine, voices on radios. The mist begins to glow with flashes of blue and orange.

The mist begins to part as David approaches the scene of an accident; police cars, a fire engine, ambulances. Emergency service personnel move around the scene. A thin barrier of Police tape surrounds it. David shouts in anguish, and tears through the barrier - a Police officer steps forward, arm outstretched to stop him. "That's my family!" David shouts, pushing the Officer's arm away, then he weaves through the other people at the scene.

Ahead, as the road bends steeply, a wooden fence has been smashed, the earth in between churned by tyre tracks. As David reaches the fence, there is a steep bank leading down in to woods. Several meters down this, resting against a tree, is a badly damaged car, being tended to by emergency service personnel. As he sees this David hesitates, then suddenly a Fire Fighter attempts to restrain him, telling him he can't go down there. David turns to the Fire Fighter, his eyes frantic and pleading - "That's my car - that's my family!" The Fire Fighter loosens his grip, and David turns and stumbles down the slope.

As he nears the car he begins to call the name of his wife, each time more desperate than the last. As he reaches the car a paramedic stops him. "I'm very sorry... there was nothing we could do." David is about to break down. He starts to call out his son's name, at first hopefully, then desperately. He runs past the paramedic, to the back of the car, and as he looks in the broken window he stops in horror. His 3-year old son is motionless in his child seat, bruising and blood on his face. David begins to weep his son's name. He falls to his knees, grabbing the door of the car to steady himself, his head level with his son's. He begins to weep uncontrollably. After a few moments he looks up at his son, whose eyes are now open and staring at him. David says his son's name, like it is a question - are you really alive? The boy answers:

"You killed me, daddy."

David opens his eyes. It is night, and he is in a bed, in hospital. He sits up, and awkwardly moves an arm covered in plaster to rub his eyes. He looks around at the dimly lit ward in which he is recovering, in which he is alone. He then puts his head in his hands and begins to weep silently.

Names are place holders, and this will be re-written, but I feel like I'm off to a start with it now.  Thanks for reading.

The origins of 'The Harrowed Man'...

While I'm on the subject of the film script I'm trying to write (of which I will post a snippet from the WIP treatment later this week!), and of  other horror films, I guess I should talk a bit about where my idea came from.

As derivative as it might seem, I actually got the idea after watching a horror film. But my idea didn't stem from a desire to homage this film, neither was it because it had short comings I felt could be done better (the latter couldn't be further from the truth).

I should start by talking about a Spanish horror called [*rec]. It's probably their equivalent of '28 Days Later', a reporter and camera man filming a fly-on-the-wall documentary about a local fire station accompany a fire crew to a call-out at a block of flats, where an old lady has become distressed. When they get there, turns out there's a rage-zombie virus, the building is quarantined and no one is allowed out.

It's all good, bloody zombie movie fun, with a couple of solid shocks thrown in.

Manuela Velasco as Angela Vidal, the film's heroine.  She's had a bad night, and it's about to get worse...

However, at the end of the film - and I'm going to keep things vague here for those who have not seen the film (which you should go remedy as soon as possible!) - it takes a turn which I was not expecting, and actually succeeds in going to a darker and more frightening place.

Without going in to too much detail, there was something in the final act which pretty much freaked me out - a combination of the performance of an actor with a very unique physical appearance, prosthetic make up, a smidgeon of VFX, intense acting, and the way that scene was shot.

I could have done with some of this after watching [*rec]...

Now, I'm not usually bothered by Horror films. They're either good, bloody fun (c.f. any good Zombie movie), or they annoy the hell out of me with their insistence of having the protagonists do really STUPID and ILLOGICAL things that put them in danger, just to keep the plot going. There aren't many horror films which have actually disturbed or frightened me.

But the end of [*rec] did this.

For the next few nights, I either had to sleep with the light on, or I kept waking up, trying to stop the images which had disturbed me from playing over in my mind.

This carried on until 5 days after seeing the film, I watched the 'making of' documentary, and finally saw the reality of how the film makers achieved this scene which had freaked me out so much.

Anyway, a few days later, I was thinking about my reaction to [*rec], and to be honest, I felt pretty stupid. Why was I so disturbed by a silly film? There are worse things in real life, more terrifying realities, that should scare me.

So I began to think about what that worst thing would be for me; I was less than 6 months married at that point, with a 20 month old toddler. Losing my wife and child would be a far more horrific prospect than any fabricated monster from the imagination of a movie maker. How much more terrible would that also be if somehow it were my fault?

Somehow, at that point, the nightmarish thought of being responsible in some way for the death of the two people that mattered most to me, and the disturbing imagery form the finale of [*rec], merged in my mind, and the vague outline of 'The Harrowed Man' formed.

And it's stayed in my mind for four years now, gathering more details each time I've thought about it.

So, now I just need to write the thing, and finally get this 'Harrowed Man' out of my head. Then maybe he can freak out some other people, just as I was disturbed by the end of [*rec]...

Film Writing For Idiots (i.e. Me)

Well, I've actually done some writing, shock horror! But before I share any of that, I figured it worth mentioning first some details about the process of film writing. Despite the fact that I know nothing about screen writing, I have done extensive research (!) so I feel like I have somewhere to start from when it comes to writing this film script.

It seems that the normal approach is to firstly write a Treatment - this is basically a detailed synopsis/summary of the entirety of the film, describing scene by scene what happens, with some dialogue where it fits. Some people think this should be about three paragraphs long, others as long as 6 pages - I'm aiming for at most 3 sides of A4 in length.

Before I do that I'm going to try and write a really rough 2-3 paragraph outline as the basis which I'll bulk out as I write. Hopefully it'll help me bridge the gaps which currently exist between some of the scenes as I currently imagine them in my head!

Once I'm happy with the treatment, I'll start on the script proper. But that'll mean even more extensive research, so that's a little way off yet.

I'll post an excerpt of what I'm writing soon...

So, about that Film Script...

Yeah, what about that then...

Would you believe that, although this idea has been floating around in my head for 4 years now, this is the first time I've ever written (well, typed) any of it down? Here it is then.

At the moment, the working title is 'The Harrowed Man'.

It is about someone who loses their wife and 4 year old child in a car crash, which he survived. Whilst struggling to carry on with his life, coping with his grief and a creeping feeling of guilt that he survived when they did not, he begins to be haunted by a terrifying figure. This figure not only feeds the man's feelings of guilt, but it also physically attacks him, each encounter more dangerous than the last.

With the support of his sister, and a grief counsellor (who believe that the man's injuries from these attacks are self afflicted), he realises he must confront this figure, in order to overcome his grief and guilt.

But this figure is not merely trying to hurt the man - it wants to make him remember things he has suppressed from his memory...

Well, that's the bones of it. At the moment I have the opening, a few scenes, and I know how it will end. It's just working out how to make the transition from scene to scene. Also, as if that wasn't enough, the final act is non-existent in my head at the moment.

Seeing as this will fit in to the horror/ghosty-story genre, I'm trying really hard to avoid all the clichés that go with it. None of that 'OMG! it's behind you!' jump scares. No shadowy figures suddenly flashing across door ways. No self-levitating objects.

"Sorry, what did you say? 'Boo'?  Oh, yeah.  Right.  Whatever...."

So, basically, none of the 'scares' from any ghost-related horror of the last few years - Paranormal Activity, Sinister, Woman in Black, Mama - all that stuff that mainly relies on making people jump. I think horror should create a growing feeling of unease, take you to a place that is bleak and unrelenting - and then leave you feeling as though a bit of a malaise has settled on your soul. My favourite horror works - not just cinema, but books and graphic novels - all do that. Also, if it has some genuinely disturbing, freaky imagery that keeps you awake for a few nights, then that also helps...

I shall leave you with that thought, till my next post, pleasant dreams..! :p