Premiere vs. Final Cut

I’m actually comparing the entire suites – Adobe Video Production Premium CS5.5 and Final Cut Studio 3. Overall, the two systems look surprisingly similar, but there are a few fundamental differences that make me want to own both at the same time. Here are some highlights.

Adobe’s great at:

• Mastering & burning Blu-ray in Encore (hello, Apple, get a grip already!)
• Native support of most formats, including AVCHD. Drop in and edit, no transcoding required.  I hear FCPX is trying to emulate that, we’ll see.
• Different formats in multi-camera tracks (must match in FCP)
• Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash as a bonus

Apple FCP beats Adobe hands down at:

• Offline editing (with proxies). I mean, come on, Adobe, you cannot scrub 4 tracks of HD with effects on them, not on my laptop anyway.
• 16 tracks of multi-cam (vs. only 4 in Premiere). Might not be a big deal, most of the time I use 2 or 3, but there was a project where I used 12. Seriously. And with proxies it worked smoothly on my laptop. Total awesomeness.
• Motion templates. Ohh, I love those! If you need 20 lower thirds of exactly the same elaborate design but different text, you do it once in Motion, and have 20 instances in FCP, editable directly in the Viewer. And you can also add drop zones for videos and stills. Adobe – you probably have to duplicate an AE project 20 times and edit each of them. Extensive googling didn’t produce even a slightest hint at how to do templates in Adobe. One thing is clear, either me or Adobe is missing something…

Both are great at:

• The primary function: editing. Apart from slightly different keystrokes, the two systems are almost twins in basic functionality. Well, maybe FCP is slightly more intuitive, but I may be biased.
• VFX – I still have to see for myself, but for the most part what people say they can do in AE, I was able to reproduce in Motion. Those who use Motion claim AE is more advanced. Go figure.
• Integration between components. Adobe might even have it slightly better, but at least as good.

Both suck at:

• Subtitles / Closed Captions. What’s up with that?
• Reverse Telecine. OK, I figured out the flow in both, but it involves transcoding individual clips. FCP may on occasion do the right thing in batch mode, but no guarantee. Adobe claims to be doing the right thing on the fly, but it doesn’t. Royal pain, given that all 24p HDV cameras record with pulldown. Same for most consumer AVCHD camcorders that claim 24p, and even some AVCHD DSLRs.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNxlShR-ewE

www.youtube.com/watch?v=06de7wIM_9E

Based on a story by Alexei Berezin.

Starring:

Igor Ovchinnikov
Roman Toschakov
Alexei Berezin
Ekaterina Alipova
Natalia Berezina

Director, editor: Sergey Berezin
Producer, Sound Editor: Dmitry Berezin

Cinematographers: Marina Vedernikova, Dmitry Berezin
Production Assistant: Yulia Grinko
Music by Alexei Vedernikov & Kevin MacLeod

© 2011 Creative Association “Berezin Film”
in collaboration with Studio Berezin Film, NSK Records, Elephan in a Wheel

Special thanks to the staff of the House of Children’s Art (Novosibirsk, Russia) and personally to the director Olga Vagner
***************************
По одноимённому рассказу Алексея Березина.

В фильме снимались:

Игорь Овчинников
Роман Тощаков
Алексей Березин
Екатерина Алипова
Наталья Березина

Режиссёр, монтаж: Сергей Березин
Продюсер, звукооператор: Дмитрий Березин

Кинооператоры: Марина Ведерникова, Дмитрий Березин
Ассистент режиссёра: Юлия Гринько
Композиторы и исполнители: Алексей Ведерников, Kevin MacLeod

© т/о Березин Фильм 2011
При участии Студии Березин Фильм, NSK Records, Слон в Колесе

Отдельная благодарность всему коллективу ДДТ им. А.И. Ефремова (г. Новосибирск) и лично директору Вагнер Ольге Николаевне.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0DJnvx-OU0

The effect is designed as a static 3D model, and the only moving part is the camera. The camera moves are programmed with the camera framing behavior -- I specified the locations, and it flies right in.

In the closing credits, the final move to the disclaimer is programmed with “null objects” -- a couple of invisible rectangles. The camera first frames one null object, showing the cool 3D perspective I wanted, and then proceeds to the other null object with the disclaimer text attached to it, making a nice turn. This is a technique I learned from the MacBreak Studio podcast.

The flashing “floor” is another technique from a book. The floor itself is a static rectangle. The flashes are also just a single rectangle with animated gradient fill, replicated a bunch of times with a random start frame. This way the flashes seem to go chaotically, yet in the same direction and the same speed.

First of all, my camera’s real-time downscaled RCA output to NTSC for some reason looked pretty bad compared to that of native DV cameras on the same shoot. Bummer. So I tried to drop my HD footage into the DV timeline to replace the bad looking clips. To my utter disappointment, the HD footage in Final Cut looked horrible, even worse than the RCA feed.WTF?

So, after a number of hours and extensive tests, here’s what I finally concluded.

First, my RCA output is not that bad after all. Even my horribly outdated DV palmcorder digitized a decent picture from that output. Something must have gone wrong in the switch board somewhere down the line. Screw that, not my problem anymore.

Next, Final Cut only displays the scaled-down frame badly, but on export the frame is actually good. Better than going through in-camera RCA and external DV recorder. And fast. Contrary to many online complaints, Final Cut is smart about downscaling interlaced footage, so you actually get a true interlaced downscaled version of each frame. Or maybe they fixed it in the latest version – either way, it works for me.

What’s weirder, if you convince Final Cut that your clip requires rendering (orange/red bar instead of green), and your rendering quality is set to High, then the frame in preview will look as good as in the final render. Go figure…

A couple of words about working with interlaced footage in Final Cut. You should be aware that any time the preview scales the frame, it effectively de-interlaces the image. So, if you did something wrong and mistakenly de-interlaced your footage (e.g. ran it through Compressor with the wrong settings – see below), then you may not notice it until way later. And even worse, if by mistake you flipped your fields, the result will still look fine in Final Cut, but totally unwatchable on TV.

To avoid the disaster, check your clips: set the viewer to 100% and look for movement. In a properly interlaced clip, you will see the “jagged” lines – that’s a good sign.  I also apply the “de-interlace” filter and check which field is displayed first – this is crucial for matching the field order. DV NTSC must show upper field first, while 1080/60i apparently shows lower field first, so they have to be flipped (filter “Shift fields” – FCP applied it automatically for me).

Finally, if you really want to go for quality, Compressor can do a splendid job downscaling interlaced footage, but ONLY with Frame Control enabled, and ONLY with “Deinterlace” option set to “Best (Motion Compensated)”. This takes about  a year to convert half an hour of footage, but the results look really good. Oh, and remember to set the “Crop to” option to 4:3 (in Geometry section) if needed; otherwise you’ll get an anamorphic 16:9 DV clip.

Happy downconverting!

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
STC Genre: Institutionalized

• “Group” – the Family
• “Choice” – whether Michael joins family business or not
• “Sacrifice” – will Michael sacrifice his family or his soul?

I don’t think it requires any comments – this is such a classic. One of my takeaways, because the movie is so long, it helps if the setup is actually a bit tighter than the beat sheet suggests, or at least is spiced up by more action. But then, I’m an action junky…

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Alexander Payne
STC Genre: Rites of Passage (mid-life crisis)

• “Life Problem” – Miles can’t get over his divorce
• “Wrong Way” – lying your way through
• “Acceptance” – moving ahead the way you really are

Somewhat slow starting and gradually gaining pace, this movie definitely hits the mark by the end. Interestingly, many Hollywood movies have a very impressive beginning and a (comparatively) pathetic ending. But not this one – it actually picks up the pace, suspense and overall quality towards the end. My impression was that the filmmakers dragged their feet through the opening and setup and couldn’t wait to get to the meat of the story, which is really in the second half of act 2 and act 3.

Overall, a pretty damn good movie.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Tom Hooper
STC Genre: Rites of Passage

• “Life Problem” – an embarrassing stutter
• “Wrong Way” – denying the deep psychological roots and trying to solve it mechanically
• “Acceptance” – literally accepting Lionel as a member of his family

The movie is truly remarkable in many ways. First, it is a great modern movie that holds up strong without any crutches like sex or violence. The story itself is simple yet so powerful it keeps you on the edge. Acting is awesome. Score is all classical and absolutely beautiful – who would have thought it can work so well in a 21st century movie? Camera work is bold and I’d say experimental at times. For instance, a great use of “fish eye” lens to show the emotional state of the king as he stands in front of people and feels overwhelmed by fear that he won’t be able to speak.

This will surely become another classic of the 21 century.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski
STC Genre: Out of the Bottle

• “Wish” – a wish for connection, true love, something that never happened in the old man’s life
• “Spell” – in a weird way, he’s reliving his life again in a different way through another man
• “Lesson” – learning what really matters

A classic of sort, this is a slow “savoring the moment” meditative story of love and fate, right and wrong, life and death. It seems, the director tried to use the least amount of action to get the point across, and make you think on your own. Who’s right? What’s really happening? You decide. Take your time.

From the technical point of view, the camera work is beautiful – the use of color (especially red) is very deliberate and powerful. Pulling focus, slight camera moves – they are almost imperceptible, but add much depth to the emotional charge. Just as all the other aspects – lighting, music, costumes, decor – the list goes on. And yet, with all the deliberation, it looks very natural, the way it should be. The true magic is invisible.

Netflix, IMDB

Directors: Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez
STC Genre: Superhero

• “Special Power” – virtually everyone is a superman (or a superwoman, for that matter), often in their own unique way
• “Nemesis” – again, everyone has their own, unique enemy
• “Curse” – plenty of that stuff. Just read the tittle again

Very cool modern film noir that is so faithful to the comic book style you have to see it to believe it. The fast-action story line, violence, sex, and other very primal attributes may be debatable for some, and certainly not for kids.

However, what impressed me most is the way it is shot and styled. It is largely black and white, but with selective colored elements – like blue or green eyes, red dress, golden hair, etc. The color stands out so much on the black-and-white background that even very little of it makes a powerful statement. From a technical point, this is one hell of a movie.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Peter Howitt
STC Genre: Buddy Love (Rom-Com) – despite what Blake says

• “Incomplete Hero”  – Helen who is not very happy in her current relationship with Gerry
• “Counterpart” – James
• “Complication” – two different ones, in fact. In one version she doesn’t even learn about him, and in the other – well, that would be a spoiler, wouldn’t it?

Yes, with this movie I feel confident enough to disagree with Blake Snyder, and reclassify it as Buddy Love (instead of Out Of The Bottle). Why? Because there is really no “wish”. Helen is reasonably happy with Gerry, as long as she doesn’t know better, and makes no wish except for his success with a book (which quite obviously never happens). There is really no “spell” except for that freak incident of “time split” at the station. And while one can argue she learns the “lesson”, whatever that is, it is a necessary change in the hero that has to happen in Buddy Love too. And, most importantly, where is the emphasis in the story? What is always on the foreground? It is clearly the relationship of Helen and James and/or Gerry, and as a B-story, Gerry and Lydia. So, there it is.

The movie itself is great. The story is on one hand rather complex – you have to figure out which “universe” each scene is from, and the two stories interweave in a rather non-trivial way. But on the other hand, it is quite simple – it is a story of a woman who is discovering the truth about her boyfriend, and ultimately about herself and her own desires. Who wouldn’t understand that? The two possible scenarios is a clever tool to explore the character in more ways, going deeper than otherwise would be possible. I admire Peter Howitt for putting together such an intricate story, and showing it in such an elegant way.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Solo) – according to Blake

• “Road” – Starting as a flight across Pacific, and ending as Chuck’s solo sailing into the sea four years later
• “Team” – the lonely hero and Wilson the Volleyball
• “Prize” – On the surface, return home. But upon return, he finds a lot more about himself and his close ones, and learning yet another life lesson.

This is a very good movie. What else would you expect from Zemeckis, after all?

However, I found it to be a bit slow in the setup, with almost nothing exciting happening for the first 30 min of the movie. Of course, given that it’s 143 min long, the beat sheet calculator gives exactly 32 minutes to Act II, but I still find it to be too long. I guess, these numbers shouldn’t be taken too literally, and the setup should be as short as reasonably possible even in a long movie. The rest of the movie has a nice pace that feels just right.

Also,  I at first thought of it as a Dude with a Problem. After all, Chuck goes about his everyday life, and suddenly – BOOM! He’s on a tiny uninhabited island. I mean, what ELSE can it be? Right? Well, not according to Blake. I’m guessing, the subtle difference here is in the choice of the hero. A Dude will mind his business, will try to live exactly the life he wants to live, nothing extra. While Chuck chooses to fly away from his home, from his beloved, from everything else – to do his job of passion. He chooses to go on the road. And he pays for it. And of course, by the genre, he then has to not only face the opponent (the Ocean, in this case), but also find something at the end that would be more than he’s looking for. That usually doesn’t happen to the “Dude” whose best reward is his “normal” life gained back.

The Apple Motion Way

The most reliable, in my opinion, is to pipe the footage through Apple Motion. This flow will also work for footage other than 60p. Here are the steps:

1. Create an interlaced (30i) sequence in Final Cut
2. Drop your 60p footage in it and do the necessary scaling and positioning adjustments (in my case, I had to scale the HD 16:9 footage to fill the SD 4:3 frame)
3. Control-click (or Right-click) on the clip in the sequence and choose “Send to -> Motion Project…”
4. Choose the file name for the Motion project, make sure “Embed Motion Content” box is checked. Press “Save”.
5. When Motion opens, it should already be preset to your sequence output format (30i). If your original clip is not 60p, you can set Frame Blending to Optical Flow in the Properties / Timing pane (otherwise leave it “off”). In the preview you should see the jagged lines for any moving objects in your clip – that’s exactly what you want.
6. Save the Motion project and return back to Final Cut. The original clip should now be replaced by the perfectly interlaced Motion clip.

Motion (unlike Final Cut) does not de-interlace the frame for display, so you can see the actual raw interlaced fields as they are. It is also much smarter about retiming, and will grab the correct frame of a 60p footage for each field automatically.

A fair word of caution – if your clip is more than a few seconds long, don’t try to render it in Motion. Or, before you do, reduce the Memory Cache setting to something low, like 20%. Otherwise Motion will hog all your available RAM and will take hours to render because your computer disk will be thrashing. However, rendering the same clip within Final Cut will work fast and furious with no noticeable memory overhead.

The Final Cut Way

Now, if you do not have Motion installed, you can still do it in Final Cut with a little help from Cinema Tools.

1. Open your 60p clip in Cinema Tools and conform it to 29.97 fcp. The clip will now play at half the normal speed.
2. Import the clip into the Final Cut 30i sequence and speed it up by 200%. Make sure your sequence has frame blending turned on. You are done.

The key here is the speed up by exactly 200% with frame blending. Turns out, Final Cut can do frame blending for individual fields of the interlaced frame, but only when the footage is retimed. If you try to drop an un-retimed, un-conformed original 60p footage in the same sequence, the fields will be pulled from one and the same progressive frame, which is not what you want. This was the problem somebody posted in the comments to the above mentioned article.

Instead of Cinema Tools you can use any other software that can conform clips to the required frame rate (Compressor, Adobe AfterEffects, etc.).

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Buddy)

• “Road” – literally a road to and around Columbia
• “Team” – Joan and Jack
• “Prize” – the original goal is freeing Joan’s sister, but at the end she gets quite a bit more than that

A nicely done action / comedy / romance film. The two main lead characters are perhaps the most opposite of each other, and all the great conflicts and comedic tension that comes with it. Very well done, very enjoyable movie.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Mike Judge
STC Genre: Superhero (People’s)

• “Special Power” – the smartest man on Earth
• “Nemesis” – the idiocy in the society, at various points represented by specific people
• “Curse” – can’t go back

While the title and the premise scream for low expectations, the movie is actually quite good and (surprise!) not as stupid as it may seem on the surface. The filmmakers didn’t (always) give in to the temptation for cheesy toilet humor, and provided quite a few good laughs for a good reason. In other words, you do care “whose ass it is and why it is farting”.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Wes Craven
STC Genre: Monster In The House (Supra-Natural) – obviously

• “Monster” – Freddy Krueger
• “House” – in this case the local block, the boiler room, and often literally the house
• “Sin” – the mob of angry parents who killed Freddy

No wonder this is considered a classic of horror. While not exactly my favorite genre, I enjoyed the drama of the story (save the gore), and the way the movie created the suspense, without ever going over the top, but never losing it either.  Overall the story, acting, directing, cinematography, editing – everything was top-notch.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Marc Webb
STC Genre: Buddy Love (Rom-Com)

Quite well done movie. Curiously, it is a highly non-linear narrative, and we know the ending in the first 2 minutes. And yet, it is captivating to watch what was happening throughout the relationship.

And of course, the true (surprise) ending is not revealed till the end

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Jason Reitman
STC Genre: Institutionalized (Business)

• “Group” – the tobacco industry, along with other “killer” giants
• “Choice” – pay the mortgage or be a role model dad? Why, take both!
• “Sacrifice” – in this case, your morals, your ethics, and perhaps even your soul. Well, something has to go, right?

Gotta love that movie! This is a brilliant move on behalf of filmmakers. The “good” guy is so bad, and is so good at it, that we have to love him just for his brilliance of spinning the evil, and come out making sense while denouncing those who should obviously be making sense in the first place. “The guy could disprove gravity!” – the highest praise out of his mouth.

MILD SPOILER ALERT

Another neat thing about the story is that it makes you think. “Make up your own damn mind”. Lobbyists, politicians, corporations, reporters, even scientists – who knows if what they are saying is true? And while the guy obviously spinning the facts, the way he does it makes you wonder – should we really stick the “POISON” label on the cheddar cheese?

While the movie is obviously Institutionalized, it is in a way the reverse of its classic scheme. The hero doesn’t rebel against the group, instead he stays loyal to the core. And at the end even though he turns the offer down, he still stays loyal to his principles (or rather, to the lack thereof) and goes on just as he was. That way, he doesn’t experience any real character growth. Except maybe becoming more “omnivorous”, worse off than he started. Why stick to the cigarettes if there are so many other profitable things that kill people?

Ironically, it’s the antagonist (the public) who undergoes most of the growth. That way, this movie challenges the very principles of a good movie structure, and quite successfully. The filmmakers themselves “prove the unthinkable”: that the main hero could be much worse than the “villain”, and even triumph at the end, yet the viewers still love to watch it. Brilliant.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Epic)

• “Road” – at first, metaphorical, but by the end quite literal travel in space
• “Team” – her colleagues
• “Prize” – originally looking for contact. “If we are alone, seems like a lot of waste of space”. But finding much more – and different – than she was hoping for.

This is a classic example of  a good story making a good movie. Obviously, it is well shot, well acted, well directed and all, but none of the super-fancy special effects that Hollywood likes to dazzle us with all the time. Well, there were a few with the machine and travel, but that’s about it.

I found the movie a bit slow paced at times. Consider the opening image – a spectacular flight through space for what seems like two minutes – they could have cut two thirds of it and be just fine. This repeats in a few places, but overall doesn’t hurt the movie. In fact, it sets the tone of a more psychological drama than sci-fi action.

Story is the King. But you knew that already, right?

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Lee Tamahori
STC Genre: Superhero (Fantasy)

• “Special Power” – Cris’s ability to see  a couple of minutes into his future
• “Nemesis” – the nuclear terrorists
• “Curse” – in part, the ability itself. I guess, it’s like knowing the ending of every movie before you watch it… However, on a deeper level, it is also the girl he meets who (unwillingly) meddles with his gift.

A very well done movie, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is not too packed with action, but the pace feels good. Despite a few obvious shortcomings (what did he do with the stolen cars? who were the terrorists? – and a few other open loops like that), overall the movie actually feels quite well-balanced and satisfying. The model of the world (or the gift, rather) is well-defined and crisp. The fun and games is also quite impressive. And of course, the surprise ending is a total killer – those pieces are probably what really makes this movie work.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Sidney Lumet
STC Genre: Institutionalized (Business)

• “Group” – the Network
• “Choice” – in this genre, it’s always the same: go with the group or by myself. Both Howard and Max make their (opposite) choices, and each of them pays the corresponding price.
• “Sacrifice” – often “death”, in this case literally murder of Howard, and death of relationship for Max

This should be considered a classic of our time made 30 years too early. The television has become a heartless business of emotional drugs feeding its viewers with a daily fix while pumping their brains and money out for the ultimate profit. Who knew that what they fantasized about in mid-70s would actually become reality today?..

Gwen Cummings (Sandra Bullock) never met a drink she couldn’t quaff. But when her drunken buffoonery ruins her sister’s wedding — and does some major property damage — a judge orders her to choose between rehab and jail.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Betty Thomas
STC Genre: Rites of Passage (addiction)

• “Life Problem” – alcohol (and pills) addiction
• “Wrong Way” – “I don’t need any help, I can do it myself if I wanted to”
• “Acceptance” – well, literally that, and then some

Really funny beginning, and overall well done film. Basically, a classic rite of passage, and rightly so included in the Save the Cat Goes to the Movies book.

To be honest, I liked Sandra much better when she was drunk – she’s so much more fun. It seems, serious and especially “enlightened” character is not her best type. In fact, because of that the ending is somewhat less of a “triumph” than it could’ve been, because again, the beginning is so much more fun.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Michael Rohl
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Epic)

OK, I actually watched it. I admit it. (See my previous post for context.) I watched it with one and only purpose – to find out how low  a movie can go while still be a relative commercial success. Now I believe I discovered an entirely new movie genre – a Comedy-masquerading-as-Thriller. No, seriously, just like a bunch of reviewers on IMDB, I was laughing my ass off in all the wrong places at the incredibly ingenious idiocy of the screenwriters and the rest of the filmmakers of this, err… film.

To the filmmakers’ credit, the story structure, the cast, the acting, the cinematography, and even the special effects looked quite good. It’s the content that made my coffee go through my nose as another unexpected turn of “science” [pardon my French] “fiction” unfolded on the screen.

Let’s look at it more closely – just because it’s (a perverted kind of) fun.

SPOILER ALERT

The opening image starts off with the meteor shower. Normally, meteors hit us in a particular direction, and in the sky it looks as if the “falling stars” emanate from a single point in the sky. It’s like driving through a tunnel and watching the lights on the walls. In the movie, the meteors rush right through the entire sky in parallel lines, originating from no particular place.

A huge rock hitting the Moon – ok, for a moment it looked believable. The huge crater, however, wouldn’t leave such jagged canyons on a planet as big. Try throwing a rock real hard into a sand hill and watch what happens.

As a result of the impact, the Moon slowed down in its orbit by 4%. Big deal? Sure. But not as big as what we’ll discover a few minutes later. Turns out, the rogue rock was a tiny super-dense “brown dwarf”. What??? Since when a giant gaseous planet-too-small-to-be-star possesses white dwarf / neutron star properties? And has solid ragged shape? (hint: super-dense objects like white dwarfs are held together by their own incredible gravity force. Tear a piece out – it’ll blow up and dissipate).

Oh, that’s not the funniest part. It’s the mass! The “rock” is twice the mass of the Earth!!! Wow… And the Moon keeps spinning around the Earth? Curiouser and curiouser…What do they say the Moon used to be? 1/6 the mass of the Earth? WRONG! It’s actually 1/81. They totally mixed it up with the gravity force on the surface, which is indeed 1/6 g on the Moon. So the Moon “gained weight” 162x of its original mass.

But before we go any further, let’s do a mind experiment. You (a 162 lb human) are running like a mad deer along the street and suddenly bump full-on into an unsuspecting 1 lb pigeon flying about its business. Your head gets stuck under the pigeon’s tail and you are dragged by the poor bird off the ground towards the nearest roof, because that’s where the bird was going. But you changed the bird’s speed by 4% on impact, so it changed its trajectory and landed on a balcony just under the roof. With you still dangling from under its tail. Poor bird, it’s impact crater must be hurting…

Yes, indeed. If such a small “brown dwarfs” (burp!) were possible, and if it didn’t just puncture the Moon right through to emerge on the other side like a bullet, but instead got stuck somewhere in Lunar core, guess where the Moon would be going? That’s right, the rock would hardly even notice the new “fur-coat” and would just keep moving as it was. Bye-bye planet Earth, you’re on my way…

Next, the NASA “expert”  draws an elliptical orbit with the Earth in its geometrical center (note: no longer the heaviest body in the system! They say it themselves!). They should have also made the Sun orbit the Earth, just to make its little brown brother a company. Never mind that Kepler knew better exactly 400 years ago. (hint: the center of mass is always in one of the ellipse’s focal points).

The “sling-shot effect” is another super-blooper. It is also known as “gravity assist”, and is often used by spacecrafts to pick up speed without using much fuel. The way it works is, the spacecraft approaches a planet at higher than escape velocity, and the planet’s gravity redirects its course. Because planets move around the Sun, if the spacecraft “slings” in the direction of the planet’s movement, it effectively adds the planet’s speed to it’s own. The spacecraft then leaves the planet like a rock shot from a sling. That’s why the name. Obviously, you can’t use this effect to change the velocity of an orbiting object (try it with a rock on a string! I’ll watch). Not even if it’s the Moon with a “brown dwarf” (ick!) stuck in its core.

Next they claim the gravity on the Moon has risen to 2x that of Earth. Obviously, they totally can’t tell the difference between mass and gravitational force at the surface. A simple calculation would show that the gravity would be not 2g, but 27g !! (that’s 162 x 1/6g) – enough to turn any human into a puddle of blood and gore on the spot. And that’s assuming the “rock” is in the center of the Moon. Of course, if it’s closer to the surface, the gravity would be even stronger there. No chance in hell for a “man on the Moon”. Not alive, anyways.

And all of this mess in the midst of impact debris hovering over Lunar surface suspended in the vacuum for weeks (!) and looking beautiful just over one of the most sucky powerful gravitational forces in the solar system.

Of course, the General’s plan to nuke the sucker had to fail – no problem with that, but going in just a few days after a gigaton and a half worth of radiation on a Moon’s gravitationally overbearing surface to send a magnetic pulse (!) over a nanowire (!!) to kickstart the Moon’s core magnetic field (!!?) in exactly the required polarity (??) to kick out the “evil dwarf”… Did it occur to them the “dwarf” might spin around and change the polarity? So it would end up clinging harder instead of flying away?? And even if it won’t, shouldn’t the Moon eject away like a peanut from the much heavier “rock”? Like, a pigeon finally kicks you off and you go flying into space. Yeah, right…

On the Moon, the astronauts also had to have some fun before doing anything useful. In the canyon, the girl had to dangle on her space suit glove in 2g gravity before going down (oh, don’t worry, she wasn’t pretty enough anyways), and of course no one would imagine installing the same mapping equipment on the guided missile itself (the special kind whose wings can work in a deep vacuum), so the doomed couple didn’t have to risk their lives by going down first.

And finally – hallelujah! – the plan worked, the Moon splits in two (oops!…) but everything is now stable (how so?) and the Earth is saved (hey, wait, what about that quarter of the Moon precariously falling off? A sequel setup?) The happy man kisses the happy woman, they find each other after a decade of laming around, and the planet celebrates! (Hey, watch out for that slice of pie in the sky – it’s MOVING!!! Uh, nobody cares, I guess I shouldn’t either…)

Click. Next channel.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Josef Rusnak
STC Genre: Whydunit (Fantasy)

• “Detective” – Douglas Hall
• “Secret” – on the surface, the secret life of Hannon Fuller
• “Dark Turn” – the real secret

I think this one nearly trumps The Matrix (note – the same year). In fact, the model of the world is better thought through and is somewhat more believable in this movie. It is not as packed with action, but it has just as good a pace and a stronger sense of mystery, suspense, and a good B story (an actual love story) all throughout. I’ve really enjoyed it.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Epic?)

• “Road” – first space travel, than travel to the “forbidden zone”
• “Team” – Taylor and the ape-scientists
• “Prize” – Taylor’s proof of intelligence = his freedom. Only he finds something more…

As they say, this is classic, and a very good one. The film is over 40 years old, and yet it’s idea is still as fresh and timely, if not more acute today than it was back then. It is a bit long and slow at times, but if you discount for the time period, it would be quite packed with action. The costumes and special effects are awesome – they may look simple, but they are believable and don’t get in the way of the story.

(Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson – the Introduction)

Director: Igor Maslennikov
STC Genre: Whydunit (law enforcement) – it’s elementary, Watson!

IMDB: this episode, and more from this series.

From a user review:

When you visit museum of Sherlock Holmes in London, Baker St., first thing that you see on the second floor is a number of pictures of all actors who ever played Holmes in the movies, and in the middle of that compilation you can see the biggest photo – the photo of Vasiliy Livanov.

All world cinematographers (including British ones) have admitted that Vasiliy Livanov is the best Sherlock Holmes that ever appeared on screen. And it is true. …

There is nothing much to add to that – it is totally true. The series produced 5 seasons in 7 years, total of 11 episodes (really, high quality feature movies) based on some of the best Conan Doyle stories. I loved the series since I was a kid (I watched it when it premiered!), and I’m still loving it after so many years. If you speak Russian, or can find the movies subtitled in your favorite language, it’s a must watch. It’s a classic of the classic.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Luketic
STC Genre: Fool Triumphant (“out of water”)

A surprisingly well done movie for such a silly-sounding premise. Really, two thumbs up! While it has all the blonde and hot chick rosy cliches and then some, in this film they are well placed and perfectly serve the story. The story itself is well written, well structured and well paced, and the actors did a fabulous job at playing the characters. All in all, good movie.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Joss Whedon
STC Genre: Superhero

• “Special Power” – the weapon of a girl
• “Nemesis” – the Alliance
• “Curse” – the girl cannot control her power

Very nice movie, at least for my tastes. A few usual Hollywood overkills like the Reavers, and some details perhaps are unnecessarily graphic, but otherwise quite well done.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: M. Night Shyamalan
STC Genre: Monster In The House

• “Monster” – the aliens
• “House” – literal in this case
• “Sin” – loss of faith

MILD SPOILER ALERT

Personally, I was very disappointed by the movie. I didn’t like the main hero (where’s “save the cat”?), nor most of other characters except for the little girl. And when a 6 year old girl is the best actress in the movie, you know something’s wrong. Then comes Double Mumbo Jumbo – Aliens against God (!). No kidding. Not to mention the artificial suspense in long unnaturally dragged action and all sorts of inconsistencies and stupidities that both the protagonist and the villains commit. Like hearing the enemy in the house, yet leaving the axe in the basement and going to “check it out” alone, unarmed. Or the water-intolerant aliens are invading water-filled planet NAKED (!). In my book that’s called STUPID. Oh well…

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Steven Spielberg
STC Genre: Whydunit (law enforcement)

Well done movie, obviously very successful. A bit of “too much pipe” in setting up, and some parts were dissonant with the rest of the visuals and tone. For instance, the precogs floating in “photon milk”, the back-street doctor’s “office” – that’s certainly too much. But most of the rest is very well done.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Todd Phillips
STC Genre: Whydunit

Very well made movie. It sets the tone as a silly comedy, and totally exceeds all the expectations of that. In a good way Apparently, setting the right expectations for the audience is half the battle – at least I’m willing to take a few corny jokes if I expect plenty of them, and otherwise the movie kept me laughing my ass off, yet on the edge of the mystery. Quite a delicate balance.

SPOILER ALERT – the movie beat by beat

Opening Image

• [0:00:29] Wedding preparations, the bride Tracy is making frantic phone calls. Her groom Doug is in Las Vegas (as mentioned by her father, [0:01:34]). Next thing we learn, Doug is missing and his friends are stuck in a desert. What’s going on? [0:02:08].

Setup

• [0:02:08] A minute and a half of beautiful imagery of Las Vegas over opening titles.
• [0:03:28] Two days earlier – intro to Alan & Doug. Allen acts rather weird.
• [0:05:17] Enter Sid, bride’s father, and his beloved car. He wouldn’t trust his car even to his own son Alan – who is kissing the dog as they speak [0:05:34]
• [0:05:57] Enter Phil, a school teacher, Doug’s friend. He’s taking kids’ money with him to Las Vegas.
• [0:06:30] We learn that Alan must be pedophile with a restraining court order to stay away from schools
• [0:07:16] Enter Stu and his girlfriend Melissa – a strict and suspicious woman holding Stu on a leash
• [0:08:50] On the road. Alan is acting up again, harassing a youngster in a car nearby, nearly crashing the car into a truck [0:10:04], and yelling at and old man at a gas station [0:10:38]. Doug and Phil discuss Alan inside [0:11:15], then talk about Melissa’s “adventure” with a barman with Stu [0:11:25]. And how friends use Stu’s money to pay for everything [0:12:05].
• [0:13:00] Welcome to Vegas (montage)

Catalyst

• [0:13:40] Caesar Palace – Phil plays up his friends (and Stu’s money) to get an outrageously expensive room.
• [0:15:30] Enter the room – wow! (montage)

Debate

• [0:16:00] Stu describes the room to Melissa (of course, as entirely the opposite). Stu reveals he wants to propose to Melissa. Doug and Phil are telling him everything they think about her.
• [0:18:00] Alan returns and suggests to go and have fun. Phil shows them up to the roof, they drink.
• [0:20:00] Alan gives an awkward speech, trying to do some kind of crazy fraternity ritual. They calm down Alan and drink again – “for the evening we will not forget!”
• [0:22:00] Quick image of time passing – it’s now morning in Las Vegas

Break into Two

• [0:22:22] Waking up in a room with a chicken, a young lady walking out the door, a tiger in a bathroom and a baby in the closet. Stu’s tooth is missing. Doug is missing. Nobody remembers anything.

Fun and Games

• [0:27:15] Friends leave the room, trying to figure out what the hell to do next. Phil takes the lead [0:28:37] in the “investigation”. Alan finds Stu’s tooth, Phil was in a hospital (wrist band), valet ticket for a car (they drove DUI).
• [0:30:38] Mattress on the roof
• [0:31:10] Police car – instead of Mercedes. Fun driving in traffic.
• [0:32:43] Story from the doctor. Doug was still with them. Blood test reveals Rophynol – a date rape drug that causes blackouts. Doc remembered they talked about a wedding in Best Little Chapel.
• [0:35:35] In the Best Little Chapel – Stu got married! – B Story begins
• [0:39:00] Melissa calls Stu – again. He’s lying his way out again.
• [0:39:36] Chinese gangsters show up, break the windshield and brandish a gun. The guys have to flee in the police car.
• [0:41:20] Enter Jade – infant’s mother and now Stu’s wife. Jade tells her part of the story. Stu notices his grandmother’s ring is on Jade’s finger. Then Jade reveals that she’s an exotic dancer and a prostitute.

Midpoint – Bad Guys Close In

• [0:43:47] Police storms in. Three friends in the police office, waiting for interrogation. Apparently, cops have a school day showing kids what they do. Alan kicks out the phone from one student who’s trying to take a picture.
• [0:44:22] Phil calls Tracy to tell they’ll spend another night in Vegas. “We won a night in the hotel”.
• [0:45:38] Interrogation. Cops found the Mercedes. Phil strikes a deal with the cops.
• [0:47:47] The deal turns out to be a demo of electroshock weapon before the school kids. Same kid that Alan kicked now gets to shoot Alan.
• [0:50:00] To their surprise, the car is in perfect condition. Friends are looking for clues in the car as they drive.
• [0:52:28] They find a naked and angry Chinese guy in their trunk
• [0:53:35] Alan confesses he put the drug into the drink – he thought it was ecstasy. Stu loses it for a moment. Phil calms everyone down and leads them to the next step – back to the hotel.
• [0:55:30] Alan remembers about the tiger.
• [0:56:00] Music in the room? Mike Tyson!? That was his tiger. And our friends now have to take the tiger to their house.
• [0:58:38] Sedating the tiger with the same Rophynol pills. Tiger’s lullaby with the chicken on the piano.
• [1:00:50] Transporting the tiger.
• [1:01:43] The tiger wakes up on the road! They push the car the rest of the way to Mike Tyson’s house.
• [1:03:14] Security cameras footage. Doug is still there.
• [1:05:30] On the way back, friends discuss what to tell Tracy.

All is Lost

• [1:05:53] Chinese gangsters smash into their car, making a mess of it. The same Chinese guy is demanding his bag back. They have Doug in the car. Friends need to get $80,000 and deliver it to the Chinese dude by dawn.
• [1:09:32] Search for the bag (montage)

Break into Three

• [1:10:24] Alan finds the book on Black Jack – an idea! Alan plays (montage), and quite well. Casino personnel starts to take notice.
• [1:12:40] Jade takes a fall. While everyone’s busy helping the woman, Alan and Phil are long gone.
• [1:13:16] Friends are driving to the meeting. It’s early sunrise.
• [1:16:28] Wrong Doug! Turns out, he’s the drug dealer who sold Rophynol to Alan instead of ecstasy.
• [1:17:47] Phil is making the phone call we’ve seen in the opening image. No Doug, no wedding…
• [1:19:20] Stu finally understands it all – he knows where Doug is! Mattress – the only way to throw it down is from the roof.
• [1:21:16] Doug is found!
• [1:22:20] Airlines are all booked up. They have to drive back.
• [1:22:41] Jade gives Stu back his ring. She also tells how Stu lost his tooth. Stu asks her out.
• [1:24:49] Ride back (montage), as the bride is making her final preparations at home. Doug says he found casino chips for $80,000 in his bag. They barely make it to the wedding
• [1:26:38] The wedding.
• [1:29:00] Melissa catches up with Stu. He breaks up with her. B Story Ends

Final Image

• [1:31:05] After the wedding. Alan finds Stu’s camera with… photos.
• [1:32:02]-[1:33:54] – photo montage over credit roll. Oh my…

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Mimi Leder
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Epic)

I find it one of the better “apocalypse” movies, with the focus mostly on the drama and relationships more than on the technology shebang and action. I even thought of marking it as “Buddy Love”, but then I couldn’t pinpoint the main hero for it. While the “epic dude” is the entire human kind represented by a few groups of characters.

When I saw Armageddon (1998), I thought this is just about it. OK, an asteroid the size of Texas might hit the Earth. Granted. It is also marginally possible that a nuke can do something to a fragile rock, even if its surface is iron-clad. And perhaps most people wouldn’t notice the physically impossible fits the technology performs in the movie.

But a rock size of Texas is not even peanuts compared to the Moon – yes, our own bloody Moon going off orbit on a collision course with Earth (Impact, 2008). And guess what? Turns out, even though human race does not have enough technology to destroy the Moon (they tried, believe me), at least we can put the Moon back in orbit. Wow… A rebellious neutrino from the Sun that heats up Earth’s core (2012, 2009) sounds like a pathetic inconvenience compared to that.

OK, asteroid and the Moon are hard core (I mean, geologically). But what about a more fluid version? How about The Core (2003) where the Earth’s core stops spinning. Yes, you heard it right. The entire Earth’s core, the unimaginable mass of liquid metal – stopped spinning. Just like that. Hear the brakes squeal? Wham! And who did it? Oh, the US military, of course! It was their secret weapon that, ahem, misfired. Well, if humans can stop a mass the size of a planet from spinning, sure they can jump-start it again. Can they?

But are the rogue Moon and the lazy planet core our biggest enemies? Try again. Apparently even those pale (literally!) in comparison to Sunshine (2007). Here’s the one-liner: “A team of astronauts are sent to re-ignite the dying sun 50 years into the future.” Got it? Re-ignite – what? – yes, THE SUN!

Try to beat that… Any takers?

And while you’re at it, check out my Screenplay Treatment Generator.

• Opening Image: page 1
• Theme Stated: page 5
• Set-up: pages 1-10
• Catalyst: page 12
• Debate: pages 12-25
• Break into Two: page 25
• B Story: page 30
• Fun and Games: pages 30-55
• Midpoint: page 55
• Bad Guys Close In: pages 55-75
• All Is Lost: page 75
• Dark Night of the Soul: pages 75-85
• Break into Three: page 85
• Finale: pages 85-110
• Final Image: page 110

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Guy Ritchie
STC Genre: Whydunit (obviously). Though overstretched towards superhero, in my opinion.

• “Detective” – clearly, Sherlock
• “Secret” – the magic of Blackwood
• “Dark Turn” – Blackwood’s evil plans that turn out to be more evil than the “magic” itself

Oh, by golly… This is another “Inception” style movie – supercool special effects in complete disregard to the story and other minor nuisances of filmmaking. I guess, I’m as much pissed at butchering the great classic as I’m impressed with the CG dazzle. It wouldn’t be half as bad if they simply called the main characters different names and removed any explicit references to Conan Doyle. However, even then the Holmes character who’s supposed to be brainy, elegant and minimalistic (minimum action, maximum effect), in this movie blasts through the roof in fast action sequences with no time to think, and often no chance for elegance. The mismatch of character and action, theme and pace, story and visuals are abound. The supposed Sherlock’s main character traits look like obvious plugs.  For instance, thorough analysis followed by precise execution appears in a couple of  corny fight sequences. Attention to detail and power of deduction are spotty and often happen in exactly the wrong places (like at dinner with Watson’s fiance). In contrast, the brute force blockbuster sequences that are well-timed, well executed and brilliantly designed, make Sherlock look totally like James Bond. So, who are you, Sherlock? I’m confused…

The lesson for me is: the mere structure is not enough. The art component should not be forgotten, or you risk to create a conveyor belt cookie cutter movie that makes a buck on flashy trailer, big names and adrenaline rush. More specifically, the components must be well fitting together. The characters must fit the story. The action and effects must serve and enhance the characters and the story. And the visuals must match the expectations for all of the above.

I mean, do you really believe Sherlock can look like a hot disheveled cowboy? With a pretty woman on his tale?? Drinking and fighting like Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai??? Come on already…

For comparison, watch the Russian TV series on Sherlock Holmes – you’ll know what I mean. Seriously.

Netflix, IMDB

Directors: Cris Weitz, Paul Weitz
STC Genre: Buddy Love (rom-com) – are you surprised?

• “Incomplete Hero” – Will “Loser” Lightman (what a choice of name!)
• “Counterpart” – the boy Marcus
• “Complication” – no shortage of those

Surprisingly well made movie. Why surprisingly? I didn’t realize the main hero could be such a loser, and the unlikely friendship could be such a big deal. In real life it’s usually much more boring and mundane. Somehow, this movie finds just the right balance of being realistic enough and yet pull the emotional strings that you feel for the characters. At least I did. No special effects – no fancy ones anyways (the dead duck is probably the most challenging of all). The magic is all in the story and how it is played and directed.

MILD SPOILER ALERT

The change in both main characters is also very well and clearly shown  – from lies to truth for Will, from being a laughing stock at school to a buddy with a bunch of friends and a girlfriend for Marcus. Hard to miss that one. I also like the theme statement – can’t miss it: “no man is an island”, interlaced with the character setup when Will directly contradicts that statement. And the resolution of the theme at the end… Speaking of which, I’m normally not a fan of a voice-over for character’s “inner thoughts”, but this movie makes it sound quite natural. Apparently, any technique is good when it works.

After Detective Joe Miller (Peter Krause) finds a key that opens a mysterious motel room, he discovers it’s a portal to an alternate universe with contents of immeasurable power. When his young daughter Anna (Elle Fanning) disappears inside, he desperately tries to save her. But Miller must contend with a host of bizarre characters who also want access to the room.

Netflix, IMDB

STC Genre: Whydunit

• “Detective” – well, the detective
• “Secret” – the “objects”, what they do, who has them, how to put them together
• “Dark Turn” – the ultimate magic and the price to pay

Fabulous movie! It is basically a 4.5 hour feature split into 3 episodes, or 6 “mega-beats”. What I find the most refreshing is a very strong and well-thought story. Every single element is there for a reason, every open loop is closed and tied by the end, every character plays a crucial role, small or large. The acting is awesome, and the special effects are relatively simple yet very powerful for the story. This is what separates a conveyor belt blow’em-up-into-space productions from the real art where less is more and genius is in simplicity.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Duncan Jones
STC Genre: Whydunit (Fantasy) – kind of like Blade Runner or Ghost

It’s a very interesting idea, and the visuals are very well done. The story, in my opinion, is progressing too slow, or alternatively, doesn’t have enough emotional pool to keep me on the edge. I watched it to the end as I was curious how it would end, but I kept looking at the clock… Pretty good for the first feature of the director though.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Renny Harlin
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (law enforcement)

Bruce is in trouble – again! And the trouble keeps growing with every sequel. It was a building in the first, now it’s an airport. John McClane’s famous words: “why does it keep happening to me?” I bet cast and crew had a blast on set with those remarks.

In my opinion, this is one of the rare exceptions when a sequel is better than the original. They really nailed the emotional pull and kept the suspense and believability going to the end. Even the total airport control from a shack and cigarette lighter against Boeing 747 doesn’t seem to be out of place. Yeah, Bruce, show’em!

Director: Michael Bay
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Epic) – according to Blake. I’m thinking, it has very strong elements of Monster in the House (asteroid being the monster). Go figure…

Overall, the SFX are amazing, acting is quite decent, but the story is not as strong, and scientific goof-ups are unbelievably bad. Also, too much pipe! Bruce appears for the first time 12 min. in – another long stretch goes for characters intro. Paradoxically, the movie feels rather slow moving despite the supposedly fast action setup, and the actual fast action is just way too fast.

But the goof-ups really did it for me. I mean, docking to a spinning space station in manual mode? A fire on asteroid in a vacuum? O2 as a fuel? (what about H2 or similar component?) Leaking pipes on the Space Station (!) pumping liquid oxygen (!!) and a mad Russian astronaut in a monkey hat (!??) Oh boy…

In light of that, 10g acceleration for 10 minutes (!!!!) is a minor nuisance (do your math: 100m/s^2 * 600s = 60km/sec – on a single fuel tank! Wait, they still have enough fuel to return back to Earth!! Wow…).

“On that asteroid, a kick in the balls will send you to outer space” – sure, but firing a machine gun like a Terminator, or geting blown up with an explosive gas pocket will only get you flying a dozen feet till you crash back on the surface. The gravity is a mysterious thing…

Not to mention the remote bomb detonator – couldn’t they just set the clock to the moment of “zero plane crossing”? And the plan itself – even if I buy the blowing up part (but size of Texas? can you really blow up an iron rock the size of Texas?) – why drill if you can burn your way through with another nuke at high speed? Why sling-shot-around-the-Moon if you can aim the nuke right at it and detonate a millisecond before contact? So many smarter choices… But I’ll stop ranting. It sucks to know physics when all you want is to enjoy a movie

www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2yR7wZDUp8

Story and Screenplay: Allen Rosenberg
Producer: N. Lawrence Yos
Director of Photography: Sergey Berezin
Director: Mohnish Bisht

Cast:

Milton Baldridge: Ray Raffa
Stuart Hughes: Elliott Burgi
Young Private: Sunny Moza
Sergeant: Phillip Tracy, Jr
Skater #1: Jordan Johnston
Skater #2: Sara T. Len
Skater #3: Jason Galindo
Enemy Soldier: John Conlon

Editor: Sergey Berezin
Sound on set: Ray Raffa
Production Assistant: Sara T. Len
Skateboard stunts: Jason Galindo

Special Thanks to:

Jason Aranda -- porch location
Charles “Charlie” Olson -- barracks location and 1942 jeep
Phillip Tracy, Sr. -  military costumes, consulting
Elisabeth Maurer
Moorthi P. V.  and the Movie Makers Unite

Vimeo version:

Netflix, IMDB

Director: James McTeigue
STC Genre: Superhero (fantasy) – according to Blake himself. I personally lean towards Rites of Passage – I guess it depends on who do you consider the main hero, V or Evey. And for that matter, Evey changes a lot more than V.

A really well done movie. What else can I say? Powerful, timely, impactful.

Remember, remember the leaks of December the fifth of November…

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Donald Petrie
:stc-genre: Fool Triumphant (Undercover fool)

• “Fool” – Sandra Bullock as an undercover FBI agent
• “Establishment” – the pageant contest and this whole “woman thing”
• “Transmutation” – well, kinda obvious

I’ve debated whether this movie’s genre is “Institutionalized” – it also seems to have all the needed elements (“group” being FBI, “choice” – follow “the book” or “throw it out the window”, “sacrifice” – Sandra risks her badge to do what she believes is right). However, the emphasis is more on her transformation from an ugly duckling, and the FBI line feels more like a B story.

This is another movie that look rather (arche)typical for Sandra Bullock – a macho “she’s a man” agent discovers and connects to her femininity (the other movie being The Proposal).

I have to say, I like the Proposal much better. This movie (Miss Congeniality) has a very cool idea, but somehow the acting and situations at times feel contrived and unnatural. I mean, a bad-ass fighter girl just can’t be so inelegant in her walk. If she knows how to fall while being hip-thrown to the ground, she would know how to balance or at least not go down head-first on high heals.

Netflix, IMDB

Directors: Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Buddy, I’m guessing)

Funny how two movies in a row I’m hitting Golden Fleece where the hero is stuck in one place for a long-long time before starting to move. A coincidence? Well, there is no such thing as coincidence in the movies…

But seriously, a very, very well done movie. It doesn’t even feel like animation – it is really an animated feature film with all the necessary beats and plot turns, themes and layers of meaning – everything a good movie needs.

The opening image and setup are fabulous – the entire Carl’s life story is told in a couple of minutes with practically no words at all. That is, most of his life – for the adventure is about to begin…

Squirrel!!!

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Steven Spielberg
STC Genre: Golden Fleece (Solo, I think)

• “Road” – from the plane to the New York hotel lobby with a lo-o-ong stop on the way
• “Team” – the airport workers (and then some)
• “Prize” – the last autograph

A MILD SPOILER ALERT

The description of the movie is somewhat misleading if you try guessing its “Save The Cat Genre” from the paragraph. In my opinion, it should read something like this:

Viktor Navorski ventures out to New York City to fulfill his father’s last wish. However, his country ceases to exist while he’s on the plane, and he is stranded at JFK airport without a visa and a valid passport as “unacceptable”.

What’s funny is that I started out thinking it’s a “Dude with a Problem”, then in the first 30 min it really looked like “Fool Triumphant”, and only when the “dude” reveals his true quest it dawned on me that it’s really “Golden Fleece.”

Speaking of quality, the movie is certainly well made, but coming from Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks – I was actually expecting more bang for the buck. In particular, it has “too much pipe” in the setup (unnecessary), and Tom Hanks looks way too dumb for my tastes, even if his character doesn’t speaking English and is first time in the US. But it’s a cool demo of one of the principles – put hero in more trouble to make him grow more by the end.

But then, maybe they did this movie not for the money but for the fun of it (I mean, I would, wouldn’t you?). At least, it looks that way if you compare the budget to box office. Just my guess.

Written by Sara James, directed by Sabrina L. Nelson, camerawork by Sergey Berezin and Samir Sinha, editor Sergey Berezin (yes, me again). Sara is also the lead actress, together with Tony Sommers.

This project was screened at the 12th Scary Cow Film Festival in San Francisco on June 6th, 2010 at the Victoria Theatre.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: John McTiernan
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Law Enforcement)

• “Innocent Hero” – John McClane
• “Sudden Event” – the terrorists
• “Life or Death Battle” – quite literal

Really well made movie, a classic of its genre. Great structure, elaborate yet engaging setup, and every single detail has been used towards the end. BTW, what do you think is the B Story? It’s the black cop on the ground! Of course, John and his wife is yet another sub-story, but we learn next to nothing about them, while the cop  resolves one of his problems, and thus transforms.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Ridley Scott
STC Genre:  Golden Fleece (Buddy Fleece)

• “Road” – literal
• “Team” – the two women
• “Prize” – freedom

A very, very powerful movie. The opening image in a way summarizes the entire movie in one minute. Starting out as a dull black and white dirt road landscape, it gradually brightens up and  fills in color, becoming a beautiful postcard picture. It then gains ominous “dusk” colors and fades away…

After analyzing a few movies with “Save The Cat!” structure in mind, I’m starting to notice the setup in many scenes, and can pretty much guess what’s going to happen next. Fair warning to you wanna-be screenwriters – the skill is your ultimate spoiler! However, I can still enjoy watching good movies even when I know what’s coming.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Jonathan Lynn
STC Genre: Fool Triumphant (out of water)

• “Fool” – Vinny Gambini
• “Establishment” – the judicial system of Alabama represented by the Judge
• “Transmutation” – Vinny turns from a clueless idiot into a snappy and excellent defense lawyer

Really, really, REALLY great classic film! And funny as hell. This is likely my first candidate to examine if I ever want to write a Fool Triumphant script.

Netflix, IMDB

Director: Robert Zemeckis
STC Genre: Dude with a Problem (Domestic?)

• “Innocent Hero”  - Marty McFly
• “Sudden Event” – while fleeing from terrorists, he sends himself back to 1955. Oops…
• “Test of Survival” – in this case, literal. His very life is at stake because he prevented his parents from meeting. If he doesn’t fix it, he dies immediately.

Really fabulously done movie. A classic that can be watched over and over again. It is meticulously well-structured, fast-paced, every detail appears for a reason, and all the loose ends are tied by the end. The emotional tension keeps growing to the very end – you are on the edge of your seat and keep pushing it – until the absolutely last moment, and even then you won’t be off the hook just yet.

At the same time, the concepts are simple and crystal-clear, with more subtle elements rubbed in your face two or three times. “Look at the clock. Do you see it’s broken? Yes? Sure? Look again, just to be sure! It’s important!).

Brilliant.

SPOILER ALERT – The Beat Sheet / Time Table

• Opening Image
  • (0:00) A bunch of clocks of all kinds. Intricate mechanisms set to timer that do all sorts of household chores, except that it doesn’t quite work the way it was intended. A bit crazy. It’s all about time and technology.
• Theme Stated
  • (8:11) “No McFly has done anything in Hill Valley” – “Well, the history is gonna change!”
  • (9:32) “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything”
• Set-up
  • (02:11) On TV: plutonium is stolen by a Libyan terrorist group. A few seconds later a box with radiation sign is shown under the table. Uh-oh…
  • (03:10) Marty McFly – a high school kid riding a skateboard and crazy about loud electric guitars. Amplifier incident.
  • (04:56) Doc – call on the phone, sounds a bit crazy and obsessed.
  • (06:07) Marty: “I’m late for school!” – reckless but supercool skateboarding show – we LOVE this kid!
  • (07:08) Jennifer – Marty’s girlfriend
  • (07:22) School principal and Marty
  • (08:15) Marty auditions with his band, plays very good, but is not understood
  • (09:47) “I just don’t think I can take that kind of rejection” – becomes another sub-theme
  • (10:45) Intro Clock tower (rub it in – so we take notice)
  • (11:37) “I love you” sign on the “Save the clock tower” flyer
  • (12:17) Car reck, George McFly (Marty’s father) being pushed around by Biff. Marty is ashamed of his father.
  • (14:51) McFly family: mother, brother and sister of Marty, all are kinda losers.
  • (16:25) Mother tells how she met her husband.
  • (18:39) Einstein the dog
• Catalyst
  • (18:50) Doc reveals the time machine
• Debate
  • (20:27) The time travel experiment with the dog
  • Doc shows Marty how the machine works, sets the timer for Nov 5, 1955
  • (26:50) Machine runs on plutonium to generate 1.25 GW of electricity
• Break into Two
  • (29:08) The Libyans catch up with Doc and shoot him. Marty flees in the time machine to 1955 (at 31:44)
  • (33:25) Marty is confused for an alien and is being shot at (what an irony!) by the farmer, so he has to flee again
  • (34:15) Marty starting to realize he’s indeed in 1955
• B Story
  • Marty and his parents (starts with his dad at 39:00)
• Fun and Games
  • (~35:00) Marty goes around Hill Valley, looks around, confirms through a newspaper that he’s indeed in 1955, notices the tower clock is working. He’s still in denial.
  • (37:07) Marty is searching for Doc in the phone book
  • (39:00) Marty meets his young dad – B Story begins
  • (40:32) The black guy (future mayor) gives George a lecture on “standing up for yourself”. B Story’s theme.
  • (41:54) George is watching over Lorraine (Marty’s future mother)
  • (42:17) Car hits Marty – instead of George
  • (44:23) Reveal of how his mother really relates to boys (in contrast to what she’ll say 30 years later)
  • (46:29) TV at family dinner (brad new program that Marty has seen on reruns)
  • (48:00) Lorraine’s dad comments about her future kid. Marty leaves.
• Midpoint
  • (48:20) (back to A Story) Marty arrives at Doc’s place, trying to convince him he’s from the future.
  • (52:00) Doc finally believes Marty and sees the time machine for the first time. Turns out, this is his first invention that actually works! (this is C Story of Doc the Inventor)
  • (53:09) Doc listens to the videotape – 1.25GW of power is hopelessly out of reach. Marty’s doomed. (“Gee-gha watts!” Oh, gimme a break, Hollywood…)
  • (54:41) Fortunately, the solution is quickly found – harness the lightning that struck the clock tower!
  • But first, Marty needs to undo the damage…
• Bad Guys Close In [here, mostly B story moves forwards, but A Story vitally depends on it]
  • (56:48) Marty goes to George’s high school trying to convince George to take Lorraine out for dance. It proves to be rather hopeless, because…
  • (57:51) …a complication: we find that Lorraine is much more attracted to Marty than to George.
  • (1:00:00) Marty discovers that George writes sci-fi. Marty tries again to get his attention to Lorraine.
  • (1:00:50) Biff is harrasing Lorraine. Marty intervenes, inadvertantly making things even worse…
  • (1:01:41) Marty keeps following George around, desperately trying to convince him about Lorraine. George puts an ultimatum (“Nobody on this planet is going to change my mind!”).
  • (1:02:27) Marty comes to George at night in a “space suite” pretending to be Darth Vader and commands him to ask Lorraine out.
  • (1:03:54) Marty coaches George on how to ask a girl out. We see George beginning to change. He still fumbles (“density” instead of “destiny”), but at least he tries.
  • (1:05:35) Biff arrives at the most inappropriate moment. Stakes are getting higher. (BTW, watch the music! It is GENIUS how it winds down.) Marty fights Biff.
  • (1:06:21) Show off with the impromptu skateboard – Marty is a total hero with the chase ending with Biff literally all in shit (1:07:52)
• All Is Lost
  • (1:08:18) But the more Marty succeeds, the more he fails… Now Lorraine has completely lost it to Marty.
• Dark Night of the Soul
  • (1:08:49) Marty comes back to Doc, who’s watching the end of the tape (“They found me!”)
  • (1:09:21) Doc shows Marty his plan, almost setting his place on fire (1:11:07)
  • (1:11:24) Lorraine comes to Doc – she found Marty and she invites him to the dance with her on Saturday. She likes George, but “a man should be strong” (1:12:43). Marty now understands what Lorraine needs.
• Break into Three
  • (1:12:59) Marty tells George of his plan to win Lorraine. Setting up a fake fight where George would win. Everything is looking good so far.
• Finale
  • (1:14:47) Saturday night. Doc has set up the wires at the clock tower, everything seems to be ready. Marty tries to warn Doc about the danger in 1985, but Doc wouldn’t listen.
  • (1:16:00) Marty writes Doc a letter. He’s really on the roll to save everything and everybody. He won’t give up.
  • (1:16:36) Doc is starting to have problems. First, a cop. No biggy, but it’s a sign. Marty slips Doc the letter.
  • (1:17:00) At the dance – George is dancing alone. Marty drives Lorraine to the parking lot. George is late. Problems start – first, Lorraine doesn’t mind at all to be “taken advantage of” (1:17:55)
  • (1:19:05) Musicians take a break. George notices the time and runs out. Lorraine is really getting on Marty and kisses him.
  • (1:20:34) Biff beats Marty out of the car and gets in with Lorraine. Marty’s helpless.Biff’s guys throw Marty in a trunk of musicians’ car.
  • (1:21:45) Marty’s trapped in the trunk.
  • (1:22:18) George finds Biff instead of Marty in the car. George tries to fight Biff, but Biff is much stronger. All hope is lost.
  • (1:22:58) Back to Marty: he’s finally free, but the guitarist cuts his hand. Marty runs off to help George.
  • (1:23:24) George finally overcomes his fear and knocks Biff out. Marty’s late, but his help is no longer necessary. However, his older brother is still not back in the photo – something’s wrong.
  • (1:24:36) The guitarist cut his hand – he can’t play. Dance and kiss are in danger. Marty has to play the lead guitar.
  • (1:25:25) Some jerk takes Lorraine away from George. Marty’s in mortal danger, he’s almost dying. But George is now changed – he takes his girl back – Marty’s saved.
  • (1:27:26) The last show-off – Marty plays Johnny Be Good.
  • (1:30:25) End of B story – Lorraine is now in love with George, their final good-bye.
  • (1:31:34) Back to clock tower. Time’s running out. Doc notices something wrong with the photo (1:32:13).
  • (1:33:53) Doc discovers the letter – fuss about it (get it noticed by the viewers!)
  • (1:34:24) The cable breaks. Now we are really in trouble. The heroic sequence of repairing the cable. Marty tries to warn Doc again, the clock starts to beat. Marty runs off to the car and drives to the start mark while Doc is precariously hanging off the clock face with the cables.
  • (1:37:35) Marty finds another way to warn Doc – just arrive 10 min earlier!
  • Of course, we can’t let our heros off the hook so easy. Doc breaks the cable again while Marty is already picking up speed.
  • (1:41:08) And at the very last moment everything magically comes together and Marty travels back to 1985. Doc is ecstatic! (1:41:51) At last Doc has seen the proof of his inventions working. End of C Story.
  • (1:42:53) Back in 1985 – Marty’s still in trouble – his car wouldn’t start. He’s late to save Doc. He watches in desperation the terrorists chasing the earlier Marty who leaves to 1955, the terrorists crashing into a booth.
  • (1:45:00) But – surprise! – Doc is alive! He put the letter back together and took precautions – a bullet proof vest.
• Final Image
  • (1:46:33) Doc goes to the future (set up for BTTF-2)
  • (1:47:04) Marty’s back home, seeing how his family has changed for the better, and especially his dad, George. Now Marty’s proud of him.
  • (1:49:12) Biff is waxing George’s car – the enemy is completely defeated.
  • (1:49:52) George’s book arrives – he’s now a published sci-fi writer
  • (1:50:12) And Marty receives the 4-wheeler for a gift he was dreaming about. He meets up with Jennifer – the world is now complete and better than it was.
  • (1:50:55) Of course, at that moment Doc has to arrive from the future and drag Marty and Jennifer “back to the future” – problem with their future kids! And of course, Doc has no time to waste (never mind the time machine and 30 years of lead time!). And the time machine is ever mightier than before – not only it takes trash for fuel (plutonium is so-o 1985), it can also fly!
  • THE END