Great article about job searching! A must read!
Exposition Will Kill Your Screenplay!
Show Me! Don’t Tell Me!!!!!
“I’m so mad at you right this minute and I’m going to do bad things to you once I’m given the chance!” You ever read a character say this in a script? If you have, this crap is called “Exposition” and it is one of the worst things you can write in your screenplay! The definition of “Exposition” is a comprehensive description and explanation of an idea or theory. Audiences don’t want your character saying exactly what he/she is thinking. For one, it creates long, drawn out dialogue that becomes boring to people. Also, your character sound “unrealistic”. Do you say EXACTLY what your thinking when talking to a person? More than likely, no. Most evaluate their thoughts, then spit it out.
Exposition works SOMETIMES. It needs to make sense as to why they are doing it and not being done out of the void.
Let your character become authentic in their personality. Don’t force them to be a robot; just let them speak. WRITE ON, FOLKS!
P.S.: If you need hep with dialogue, I WILL HELP YOU! I love reading scripts and giving out quality feedback! Email me at Mbanks33@gmail.com and let’s talk!
IT’S A THROWBACK REVIEW!! “The Breakfast Club” MOVIE REVIEW!
The cast of the Popular 80’s film.
Before I start this review, I have to apologize to the late, great John Hughes. I hate that it took me almost 30 years to watch this movie. To be completely honest, I never really had any interest in watching “The Breakfast Club”. The movie came out in 1985, (the year that I was born) and by the time I was interested in movies, that movie just seemed “out of date” to me. Oh, how ignorant that sounds to me now.
“The Breakfast Club” stars some of the hottest teen movie stars to ever prance through Hollywood. The Brat Pack, with notable stars like Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Emilio Estevez occupying the group, was what they were called back in the 80’s. So you can say this film had star power. And with that star power was on-point acting. Ringwald does her thing being, Claire, the “popular girl” and almost gets you to hate her. Estevez tackles the “jock” role but brings more of a nice guy vibe to it. The rest of the cast, which takes on the bully, nerd and weirdo, all bring these character to screen as not being the typical role you would think. At the end of the film, you’ll see how this comes into play.
The Breakfast Club is all about the large social gap between high school students. And it’s funny; the same gap exists in schools today. The Breakfast Cub shows us how the walls come tumbling down just by understanding each other and showing compassion. As the film progress, we see the characters begin to break down and reveal the hurt that plagues their mind. They come to the conclusion that each of them is no different than the other and that the social status they hold mean nothing but false perceptions of each other.
John Hughes. One of the greatest directors of our time wrote and directed this picture. He really captures the essence of the teenage mind through the characters and their interactions with each other. Hughes’s dialogue controls the mood very well during intense scenes and pulls us to want to understand both sides of the story. For example, when Claire was confronted by John, the bully played by Judd Nelson, about being a virgin, you feel compelled to know her status but you also know that it is none of your business to know. All this confusion is created by genius dialogue. Hughes, you masterful master you.
The music. Great. “Don’t You Forget About Me” by Simple Minds is timeless song. It’s the staple of the movie. You really don’t forget these characters.
Some things about the film I truly didn’t like. All the reasons go to it being an 80’s movie and films had that over-the-top acting or storyline that was acceptable in those days. Example, the kids were smoking weed during detention! That’s a just unrealistic for me. Also, there was a scene where Andrew, Estevez’s character, was high as a kite, ran into a room and screamed so loud that the glass on the door shattered. Come ‘on. Really? But, then again, it was the 80’s and that was accepted in the film world.
Despite the questionable scenes mentioned above, The Breakfast Club does what a drama is supposed to do. And that is to draw you in emotionally and make you relate to each character’s ideologies, whether it’s good or bad. John Hughes controls the screen with grace and power between the character’s strong dialogue and through relatable performances from the actors themselves. Even after 30 years, The Breakfast Club still delivers the message with authority and charm.
My Rating:
(4 out of 5: A Great Film)
It’s The Turtles!: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Movie Review
The Turtles are back in the high-octane, action film reboot! I have been a fan of the Turtles since I could remember and I could not wait to see wait to see Michael Bay’s adaptation of the franchise. Yea, I know Michael Bay can ruin some things but I truly appreciate the EXPLOSIONS in his films. (LOL) But not to fear, Bay Haters! He only has produced this one so you can keep calm! Jonathan Liebesman helms at the directors chair (i.e. Battle: Los Angeles, Wrath of the Titans) and he does a good job. Great job if you really want my opinion but we know you just want to know if the
movie was good or not… And it is.
The writers really REBOOT the core of the story. It’s quick and to the point and has no need for explanations of “past” events. But in the mist of watching it, I felt it was necessary for the new generation of fans. This is not a “Lord of the Rings” type of storytelling. We don’t want prequels of how this and that came about. No. It’s fun and exciting to watch. And that was accomplished in this film.
Special effects were on point as well. Even though the heroic Turtles and Master Splinter are CGI the entire film, it’s not a bother because the effects are superbly done. The fight scenes are amazing to watch as well as some high intense action scenes. In other words, it’s mix between “cartoonish” and “reality” turns out to be an excellent visual blend.
One thing surprised me though. Megan Fox. I actually expected less from her. But she actually portrays the character, April O’Neil, pretty well. I believed her “wants” through her acting and it got me involved in her story. The voice acting was perfect. (I didn’t know Johnny Knoxville was the voice of Leonardo?!) Each turtle holds the characteristics of their personality in big ways. Their personality even fits the body type of the turtle! Example, Donatello, the brains of the crew, has a slimmer body type, than the other turtles, that could pass of as “nerd-ish”. And Raphael, the hotheaded bruiser, has the super muscular, scars-everywhere, body type. In the older films, they all looked the same and you could only tell them apart from their colored mask. This gives the Turtles their own, clear individuality amongst each other.
So, if I have grabbed your interest with this review, HOLD ON! Now, see, I’m a huge Turtles fan and I have waited for this movie for a minute. And as a fan I say: “Go See This Now!” (5 out of 5) . Your kids (and your Turtle-lovin’ spouse) will love this film. For kids, it will do for them as nostalgic films did for you. But if your dragged along for the ride you will come out saying: “Not Bad. Not Bad At All” (3 out of 5).
– Have fun at the movies!
New Blog Segment! Reviewing Movies!!!!
Hey guys! Guess what!?!? I’m going to begin writing movie reviews for you all! That’s right! With my reviews, I’m going to cater towards the “enjoyment” of films. I say this because most reviews are super bias and misleading to the customer and stops them from going to buy a movie ticket! Some films get bad reps from critics and then, come to find out, the film is way better than what they claim to say about it. In my reviews, I will stay true to the film and what it wants to accomplish for the audience. Also, I got a cool rating system that you all can relate too! It goes like this: “Go See This Now!” (5 out of 5); “Good Movie!” (4 out of 5); “Not Bad, not bad at all.” (3 out of 5); “Wait For Nexflix.” (2 out of 5); “WHY DID THEY MAKE THIS!” (1 out of 5). Make sure you guys share my reviews with your friends too! And once again, I promise to give you an “audience” perspective of a film over a “technical” one!
Action Films: Is Too Real being Too Fake?
I saw the action film, “White House Down” starring Jamie Foxx and Channing Tatum recently and it was OK. (And it’s perfectly fine for a movie to be just “OK” in my book.) I enjoyed watching Foxx and Tatum pair up in this film; but only in this movie. Reason being is because their characters compliment each other and honestly, I don’t think I could see them as a duo again…
But on to the real reason of this post. Action films. Can they be too Hollywood? You know, the massive explosions, crazy car chases, loud and crazy shootouts. (Think Michael Bay movies.) Well of course they can! It’s amazing to watch and fun to experience! But what about portraying a REAL LIFE shootout? Or a realistic car chase? Is that too REAL to watch?
I’m a action film fanatic. I would say that I’m spoiled with those over the top actions scenes but when you start to notice them being “Over The Top”, you start to lose interest. Martin Scorsese films bear those true “action scenes”. For example, in the movie “The Departed”, (spoiler alert) the final scene is a shootout. But it’s not your typical shootout. Each bullet ended the guy. They didn’t try to hang on to dear life, clutching to their chest and gasping for air. They immediately died. Like a real person would if shot in vital body parts.
In the mist while writing this, I realize that it all depends on the story being told if we should have massive explosions and over-the-top actions scenes (i.e. Transformers) or realistic violent conflict amongst people (i.e. Out Of The Furnace). When you analyze movies, like I do, you start to see things that aren’t meant to be seen. So I apologize if any action movie dreams were killed from this post.
Long Time in No Time.
It’s been a minute since I have written anything. Like, way to long. And now that I have picked up the pen again (in this case, the “Keyboard”) I thought about what held me back, and it’s no excuse to why I made those excuses to stop me from writing. So I’m writing this post to be some motivation to anyone who is having trouble pushing themselves to “WORK HARD” at their true passion. Here is a few things to consider when trying to break through that “wall of laziness”:
- Are You Happy? – Check yo’ self before you wreck yo’ self! If you know something is not right within, start asking questions about what’s putting you in the “sad slump”. Once you find it out, BURN IT OUT OF YOUR LIFE! (In other words, destroy it.) Your better off without it.
- Don’t Think, Just Do. – This is one of the best things taught in sports today. When you spend your time “Thinking” about what’s wrong or how long something has been on the mind, you lose time and creative ideas towards your “Passion”. Just go and do it and don’t worry about making mistakes. Your gonna make them…..then you’ll correct them.
- Who Are You Listening To? – Who is giving you THEIR ADVICE about YOUR WORK?? What do they know about what your main goals and accomplishments are? Do they want you to succeed? Do they think your idea is too far-fetched from being GREAT? How much do they know about you? Are they Negative people? Are they Positive? Do they gossip around you? You see where I’m going with this, right?…
- Love Your Ideas! – You could have an idea that seems to bizarre for anyone to fathom. So what. Embrace it, love it and watch people respect it. (Look up IcejjFish)
- Give At LEAST An Hour Working At Your Craft Everyday! – An hour turns into two hours. Two becomes four……
- Expand Your Leisure Activities – Do something that you never thought of doing. This helps with expanding your mind and possibly helping you come up with new ideas for your “Passion”. (It’s also fun too!)
These are just somethings to consider when you feel the sadness creep along in your life and you stopped your dreams from becoming a reality. Always stay POSITIVE and have tunnel vision on your goals. Never, Ever, stop and complain about whats NOT going right because you have the power to change EVERYTHING in your life.
You Should Read More Screenplays! (Even If Your Not A Screenwriter)
Who loves their imagination? I sure hope you do! For one, it expands the mind to create incredible things like stories, music, art and many other things you can think of. One great way of exercising your imagination is to read. Vivid words and extravagant settings move the mind to form what you have just read. Novels have an excellent way of telling you what a character’s action look like and how their environment effects them. But what about screenplays? Can they have the same effect on your “imagination” as a “novel”? I think so….AND MORE.
The thing about novels is that they “tell” you exactly what you should visualize about. It describes everything there is in that setting, period. Nothing wrong with that at all. But for a screenplay, it “shows” you what is happening. For example, If there was a fight scene going on in a story, the screenplay would make the scene generally vivid, leaving you to polish what you read, in return, exercising your imagination twice as much than reading a novel! (It’s also fun, too!)
Reading novels are great, and I highly recommend that EVERYONE does. But try adding screenplays to your literary arsenal as well! They aren’t just for big wig producers and directors, ya know.
Why I Do Not Like Tyler Perry Films.
Tyler Perry is the multi-million dollar entertainment mogul from Atlanta, Ga. I’m sure you know who he is. “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, Madea Goes to “Every Place Black People Go To”. Yea, that guy. Now don’t get me wrong. Mr. Perry’s story from homeless to money bags is amazing. He got his start by putting on plays at the local Atlanta playhouse and struck gold with the market, ironically called the “Gospel Market”, which are the Black church-going women, ages from 18 to 60 or racially called the “Chitlin Circuit”. (Go look this up. Please.) He segued from theater to movies with the help of a lucrative deal from Lionsgate Films. (Perry has full ownership of his work. He doo-doo’s money, everyday.) He bases his films on his plays and generally cost nothing to produce. ($5 million dollars for a budget on a movie is VERY cheap.) Then, the film grosses an average $30 to $35 million a pop. He’s an advocate for the Black youth (example: took a group of kids from Philadelphia to Disney World because the local swimming pool would shun them away from swimming with the white kids), a proclaimed-Christian and a philanthropist.
But enough about why he’s a “Good Guy” and more why I think his films are bad.
First off, I hate his frequent use of the same story in all of his films! You know, the “Woman gets hurt because her husband abused her, then a ‘light-skin’ guy comes and saves the day” stories. Even his subplots are the same. “Bad kid gets sent to live with her loud-mouth, Grandma (which is Madea…..) and she beats and harasses them till they know the value of life and how to respect their momma and their momma’s issues”. You can’t tell me one of his films that don’t have these “plots” in the story! Ok, I know his “Market” loves these types of stories and crap…. but you won’t expand your “audience” if you continue to repeat the same story in every movie you do! Are there other ways to tell the basic “love, lose love, find new love” stories? Yes! Find it and be fresh about it!
Also, Perry’s characters are (most of the time) very one-dimensional. Example: you got the antagonist, who is either a hateful man or woman with no true motive about why they do hateful things. (An awesome example of a great antagonist is General Zod from the Zach Snyder film, “Man of Steel”) And the protagonist are always WEAK! They let anything invade their lives and cause turmoil without a fight! If you don’t agree, play the first ten minutes of five Perry film’s in a row and tell me about the main character. (Put your findings in the comments below and don’t be surprised on what you get.) Every time I watch a new Perry movie, I seem to already know what type of main character I’m going to deal with once the “Tyler Perry Studios” tag flashes on the screen.
Beside my rant, I like Tyler Perry and what he has done for African-American filmmakers around the country. Studios are now noticing that they can make money from Black directors and a leading Black actor or actress. And through this, they will opt to more likely greenlight a Black film. But telling a story through film needs to captive the mind and emotions of the viewer. In my opinion, he did that with one film and never again. Overall, STOP MAKING THE SAME MOVIE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER…….Ok. You get my point.
Richard Sherman, Thugs, and Black Humanity
Read up!
Today I’m wondering what it takes for a black man to be regarded as human in America.
Today Richard Sherman is being lambasted for his animated post-game interview in which he dared to express emotion outside of the cubic centimeter men of color are allotted. A cornerback in one of the most physically demanding sports in the country—after a game in which bodies were injured and crushed; after a game that required players to be helped off the field—wins a critical game and has a microphone stuck in his face. He says what he says, and suddenly the nation is clutching its pearls, tutting and making pretend-concerned remarks about sportsmanship and graciousness. Today, Tom Brady criticizes Richard Sherman for his lack of “graciousness.” Today, Richard Sherman is being called a thug, and I’m wondering what that word really means.
Does it mean foul-mouthed? After all, Tom Brady was never called…
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Marcus.Banks 