i do love the taste of a good burger

Another day, another page in the diary of Iggy's Quest! Today's blog entry calls for a little bit of reader participation, so maneuver your mouse on over to the "comment" button and wait for my signal.

I've realized over the past few months, as I've started to really analyze films, that I really don't know much about how to make a really good movie. Alfred Hitchcock once said that to make a great film, you need three things: the script, the script and the script. I think he's got a point-- actually, that's one of my favorite movie-related quotes. However, the real truth is that you need a lot more than just a script. A lot of different elements have to come together, in subtle ways, to really make a classic.

I don't expect myself to ever reach that level... but I can aim for it.

So, my awesome readers, if you can spare a couple minutes, give this a shot. Name your favorite movie-- or if you can't pick one, name one of your favorites-- and give the reason why you believe it's a great movie. If you can think of a particular scene or character to use as an example, go for it. Again, this is all for my own selfish benefit, so really try to get into it. Four to six paragraphs would be ideal.

In reality though, a sentence or two will do.

And so you don't feel alone I'll do one too! (Mine will be longer than yours, probably)

My favorite movie is probably still Pulp Fiction. I just can't get over how good the script is, and how unique. The bizarre structure somehow ends up seeming completely natural and flows with the arc of the story (non-story?) My favorite scene is probably the intro, when Jules and Vincent bust into Brett's apartment. Really, really smart writing by Quentin Tarantino, from the good old days back before he went completely nuts with kung-fu homages and stylistic mishmashes (a la Kill Bill). And Samuel L. Jackson gives the badass performance of his career.

"I don't remember asking you a god-damn thing!"

Ahhhhhh. Classic!

I almost feel like I can't quote a single line from that scene without quoting the entire back-and-forth dialogue. It's so brilliant as a whole. Go back and watch it-- the tension escalates subtly, almost underneath the spoken words, but it works to create an extremely intense payoff. I honestly can't think of a better-written scene in any movie I've ever viewed, and the actors completely carry it off.

(edit: i can't believe i forgot to post the clip! whoops)



Ok, now... your turn.

and we're back

Hi everybody. It's Iggy-- back on the blog wagon again. Regular updates are on their way.

You remember how I said I wanted to make a short film this summer, right?

Well, I apparently didn't account for the fact that I've never even come close to making a short before. Not even for a school project.

I also failed to account for Southern California's weather, which has been sunny and rainless for months. Originally my plan was to work around that by shooting in the early morning, when a marine layer should still be overhead-- but it's actually too hot for a marine layer this month. I've barely even encountered that before.

My script called for two-- TWO-- locations: a toy store and a shoe store. I went into a couple of stores around my neighborhood and asked if I could film there. They said "NO" so quickly, and so decisively, the force of the word itself blew me back out the front door and into the street. I guess there are corporate policies against things like that. Maybe they thought I was going to film all their secret, illicit shoe deals and sell the tape on the black market.

So I changed the script, and changed my plans. I'll have to find a reasonable facsimile of a shoe-store counter, so that I don't have to shoot in an actual store... and I'm changing the toy store into a pizza place. Why? If I told you that, I'd have to kill you. (Let's just say I work with what I'm given.)

Then I went up to the Los Angeles area to get a camera from my old boss. Turns out he didn't have the professional camera that day-- so he loaned me his personal camcorder. Extremely nice gesture on his part, but it definitely isn't a pro camera. I'll still get some good use out of it, though.

And on top of all that, I now have some severe scheduling conflicts that might mean I can't shoot the damn thing until September.

So basically, I fail at making a movie. Oh, don't worry-- it WILL BE DONE. But it won't be done soon.

I was hoping to do it in August, so that I'd have time to edit and then release it before summer's end. But a fall release isn't too bad. It's closer to Oscar season, so that's a plus. I should start it with a big "For Your Consideration" label.

Now then... Anybody know of any good production jobs?

anybody still here?

Just to show you guys I haven't totally abandoned this place-- here's a little essay I just wrote. Maybe to kick myself in the ass more than anything else.

I promise I'm going to reboot the quest. And it'll be sooner than you think.

"Bushisms"

How does it feel to watch your life pass you by?

I used to have one of those 365-day desk calendars next to my computer. "365 Bushisms". It was a gift from my uncle-- he's the type of guy who still gets his yuks from the daily Garfield. He thought it would give me a chuckle. I'm sure you've seen them before. They weren't even current in 2002. That's not why I got rid of it-- although that's a pretty damn good reason.

No, I got rid of it because it was too convenient of a metaphor. On a Tuesday I would rip Monday's page off the calendar, crumple it up and chuck it into the trash. Then on Wednesday, I'd rip Tuesday's page off and throw it away. Pretty soon there was a mound of balled-up Bushisms in my trash bin. And every day I would look into that bin and think about how many days I'd thrown away.

I'm a writer. Or at least, that's what I tell people. I'd certainly like to be a writer. I can't imagine anything better than waking up at noon, lounging around all day and tapping out a few hours' worth of garbage for a team of editors to pore through and rewrite, and getting paid for it. After all I already have the lounging-around part down pat, and sometimes I even wake up AFTER noon, so I guess you could call me an overachiever. But the funny thing about being a writer-- occasionally you have to write.

There's still a big pile of old forgotten calendar pages in my trash bin. One wasted day reads, "'My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions.' -George W. Bush"

Well, I'm a decision-maker too. Today I decided I'm not going to let these missed chances haunt me anymore. I'm going to start something-- something BIG. But first I'm going to empty the trash.

Haven't really gotten around to it yet, though.

But I will. Oh, I will.