Random Video & Rant: Happy Endings

I thought I'd post clips from two of my favorite movies. Which just happen to have two of the best endings I know of. Coincidence? Not if remember Josh's Equation For Movie Enjoyment (or JEFME):

(Movie Quality + Ending) / Expectation = Enjoyment

When I previously talked about the equation in this post, it was in the context of how expectations color judgment, but endings are huge. As you can see in the equation, I rate a movie's ending as carrying equal weight to the overall quality. Part of that is because no A movie could ever have an F ending, just as no F movie could have an A ending.

But part of that is the fact I feel the lasting taste in a viewer's mouth is crucial to the moviegoing experience. If you've seen what could've been an A movie turn into a B because of a D ending, you're enjoyment is not a B. It's a C (depending on expectations) because although you just saw a B movie, your deflation at what might have been drags your enjoyment level down a notch.

And that's why it's no surprise two of all-time favorite -- arguably my top two -- are movies with terrific endings. It not only fits JEFME, it's the basis for it. I usually say 'The Shawshank Redemption' over 'Seven' when asked about my favorite movie because the moviegoing experience I had seeing it the first time was the best I've ever had. 'Seven' comes in a close second. The difference? Expectations, of course. The movies came out with a year of each other, but I saw them with completely different mentalities.

I saw 'Shawshank' upon it's re-release in 1995 after being nominated for an Oscar for 1994 (I'd been so lukewarm about it, I'd never even considered seeing it the first time around). It was a Sunday night, I was depressed, and had no expectations at all. For 'Seven', I'd waited for it for it for weeks, and saw it on opening day in the afternoon. I had tremendous expectations. They both were great, but the fact that 'Shawshank' surprised me as well as touched me, and inspired me when I needed it, makes the idea of it just a notch above 'Seven', which wowed me, but also depressed me, and left me feeling like I'd been punched in the gut. A great experience, no doubt, but still a slightly less positive and uplifting experience.

So, after all that blathering, here they are the ending of both movies. On more similarity between them: Morgan Freeman playing the second lead, and narrator, and speaking both film's magical lines -- in one heartening and hopeful, in the other heartbreaking and haunting. First 'Shawshank':



"I hope to make it across the border, I hope to see my friend and shake his hand, I hope the pacific is as blue as it's been in my dreams. I hope." That says it all man, maybe my favorite final line of all time.* If not, it might be this one...



"Ernest Hemingway once wrote 'The world is a fine place and worth fighting for'. I agree with the second part." Poetry. It helps when you have Morgan Freeman elegantly uttering your words, but you've got to tip your hat to Frank Darabont and Stephen King for the amazing words in 'Shawshank' and Andrew Kevin Walker for the stunning work in 'Seven'.**


* Most people don't know this, but the script actually has a lot more dialogue after that line -- there was a whole scene between Andy and Red on the beach written. I know because I have a copy of the script. The scene was a good cut. So good I doubt they even shot it that way for safety (especially because it didn't involve that helicopter shot in the final cut. I was planning on writing something about this someday and posting that never used last scene. Now that I've mentioned it, I'll probably just throw that up as a short post tomorrow. That should give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

** I also have a script for this with a different ending, but it's more complicated -- a totally different feel to the work, with Morgan freeman's character ending up in the hospital. Long story.

Link Dump

I'm still working for a living (at least for a couple more days) and I need my beauty/sanity sleep, so I'll keep it brief. I'm just going to dump a couple of links of interest and get off to bed:

First, I think this is funny, even though it's supposed to be serious, and I actually agree with the cause. I guess I just don't see the point of it. And I laugh every time I imagine someone actually doing it -- going through the act of making the actual call to work.

This, on the other hand, is meant to be funny. Mission accomplished.

Lastly, the Digital Shorts are the best thing on SNL, and the clip below was probably the highlight of this weekend's show:



The shorts are made by The Lonely Island -- comprised of Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg. They have dabbled in music before:

Working for a Living

I know I promised a review of 'The Shield's' final season this week, but it'll have to wait, as other responsibilities have intervened. My writing always takes priority, so that's no surprise. And there's my columns on Niners Nation. And my wife. But this week, suddenly, I also find myself working a real job. That's right-- me, in an office, sitting behind a desk, working a phone and computer and goofing off on the internet like a real, live office monkey. And in this case, I think a monkey really could do it.

I'm calling stores all over the country which sell CD's to see how many copies they have in stock of James Taylor's new album, 'Covers'. In the last two days alone, I called every Circuit City in the US. Every single one. At each, speaking with someone to ask that they find out not only if they have the album, but exactly how many copies. I'm sure you can imagine just how excited they are to go and fetch that information right up for me. At the end of the day, I had to switch to Wall Mart, and going alphabetically

The thing you don't realize -- at least, not after about 10 years between office gigs -- is that it still takes a lot out of you. The getting up early, all the coffee you have to guzzle to get you up and running, the commute, the having to deal with people with all its having to be polite banality. By the time you drive home, you just want to pour and drink, tune out for some TV and crash. It's tough, and it keeps me from things which I'd rather do, but I can't afford to turn down a paycheck. Besides, it's only five days with a weekend in between. Although it almost wasn't -- because the project was running behind, I was asked to come in Saturday and Sunday. I got out of it, but for a minute there it felt like this:



Writing is hard after a day like that is no picnic, but I was able to do it last night working on the script with Barry a bit by Skype.* But tonight I need to chill, and this weekend will be devoted to more screenwriting, and whole mess of football. This Saturday is the best day in the college football season in my mind. Partly because New Year's Day is not what it was -- all the best bowl games spread across the next few days -- and partly because of the advent of the Conference Championship Game, Here's my take on the big games:

SEC CHAMPIONSHIP: ALABAMA vs. FLORIDA

Florida is the best team here, but I'm not sure Saban isn't the best coach in the game. This rematch of the original SEC Championship Game (in 1992, when the teams were coached by Gene Stallings and Steve Spurrier) has all the makings of an all-time classic. The winner makes the National Championship Game, and I think when the stakes are that high, you go with the best player on the field -- especially when he plays QB/RB/Head Cheerleader. That man is Tebow. The pick is Florida.

BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP: OKLAHOMA vs. MISSOURI

Even though they don't deserve to even be here due to their loss to Texas, I think OU is the best team in the land right now. But this game has had its fair share of big upsets, mostly knocking teams out of the championship hunt -- Texas/Nebraska in the inaugural, Kansas State/Texas A&M, OU/Kansas State -- so nothing can be taken for granted. Especially given the weather forecast for Kansas City: 20's for most of the game, possibly dropping into the teens. That could slow down OU's high-flying O, but it's do the same for Mizzou. The pick: Sooners

That makes it a Florida/Oklahoma title game, and that would be one interesting game.

I'm also working Monday through Wednesday, so I'm not sure how much I get up between now and then, but you can expect a few more reviews after that -- besides 'The Shield', I'm seeing 'Milk' at a screening next week, and plan to see 'Frost/Nixon' by the end of the week.

Random Video: The Underappreciated 'Vision Quest'

In my humble opinion, 'Vision Quest' is one of the most underrated sports movies of all time. And the following short scene is one of the most underrated in sports movie history, if not movie history. You never hear anybody talk about it, but it poetically encapsulates not only what's great about sports movies -- touching moments, inspiring moments, motivational moments, goosebump moments -- but also what's great about sports -- its ability to elevate from our everyday experiences to experience something special.

A little background: Louden (Matthew Modine) is preparing to wrestle the legendary Shute, a badass high school wrestler who's never been beaten. Louden has lost weight and trained his ass off, and now on the night of the match, he's stopped by to see Elmo (J.C. Quinn), a cook he works with at a hotel. What follows is one of the most inspiring speeches about sports I know of:



If you're not moved by that, you probably don't have a soul. And if you don't know whether Louden wins the match after seeing that, you've probably never seen a movie before.

Navel Gazing: Great Success! (UPDATE)

When I started this blog, my chief hope was just that I might find a place where people would read my writing. You can't imagine how frustrating it can be being a writer in Hollywood -- pouring your heart into something, and then having to twist arms just to get somebody to read it. In my experience, writers write for two reasons: 1) For the experience/catharsis -- that is to get the voices in our heads down onto paper (or screen) and have them realized, and/or 2) To have that work read by others -- we all hope to affect the world in some way, be it on a global scale, or just by making one person laugh/cry/scream/whatever.

Since I started posting here, I've often doubted that anyone was really reading. Sure, I had told a few friends, and maybe they told a few friends, and maybe even a couple people stumbled across this space while looking for something else, but I felt a bit like a castaway, writing messages in bottles, hoping someone might find one. I've gotten a couple of comments from strangers complementing my reviews, but for the most part they didn't quell those fears. That's why -- or at least one of the reasons -- it was such a thrill today to receive an e-mail from someone who had found one of those messages, someone whom I happen to admire very much.

Last night, I posted my latest TV review -- of one of my favorite shows on the air, 'Sons of Anarchy'. To be honest, it was late at night, I was getting tired, and I don't even think it was particularly well-written -- I left out some important points I'd meant to include. But in the review, I wrote about the show's creator, Kurt Sutter, and how he came from one of my all-time favorite shows, 'The Shield'.* This morning I woke up and checked my e-mail to find a message from Mr. Sutter complementing the blog. At first I was sure it was a prank -- my writing partner Barry works in publicity for FOX, and actually deals with Sutter and others from the show as part of his routine (besides being a big fan of it), so I immediately assumed he had figured out some way to fake the e-mail.

But, upon further review, I found the e-mail led back to a blog right here on Blogger run by Sutter, himself. "SutterInk" is the name of the blog (the link is now in my blog roll on the right side of the screen), and you should really check it out -- and not just because I love both Sutter's work and his politics, though that's undoubtedly a big reason why. It was certainly a thrill to hear personally from someone I idolize, but it also presented a common dilemma in this town.

See, I'm a struggling screenwriter, and that's not uncommon in LA. In fact, we're a dime a dozen. But none of us feel like we're a dime a dozen -- we all feel uniquely special (whether we are or not is someone else's call). So whenever we meet someone in a position to help our careers, there's both the temptation to ask, and also the knowledge that doing so makes us not only a pest, but even worse -- a cliched pest. That's when pride often steps up to block our way. In a desire to not be That Guy, we don't say what's on our mind. We don't ask for what we want. And in my experience, if you're too afraid to ask for what you want, you'd better be resigned to going without it.

I am certainly not resigned to going without a career in screenwriting, but I've often found myself too prideful, or too embarrassed, to ask for someone's assistance in my career -- even when I've known they have the power to grant it. This happened recently to Barry, who had to opportunity through his work to hang out with Shawn Ryan, the creator of 'The Shield' (as well as 'The Unit') for three hours the other day. They talked about writing and the business and all sorts of things, but because Barry was there for his job, he felt too awkward to mention the fact he's a screenwriter who's been screwed over a few times (I know because I was bent-over right next to him at the time) and could use a helping hand.

I totally get why Barry didn't mention his situation to Ryan -- it might have been unprofessional in his position -- but I swore that I wouldn't pass up the same type of opportunity. I'm not going to let my pride stand in my way -- at least not anymore. I can't afford to. My screenwriting career is on shaky ground at this moment -- due to the economy, my representation situation, and the fact I'm having to move to Boulder, CO because the only solid job opportunity I currently have resides there -- and I need to do whatever it takes to breath life back into it. So, I did the unthinkable (at least for me): I swallowed my pride and replied to Mr. Sutter, asking if he had any advice for a poor, struggling screenwriter like myself.

Part of what inspired me to do this was reading his blog, which mentioned a time before 'The Shield' when he was a struggling screenwriter himself, and how Shawn Ryan helped and mentored him. But mostly, it was an admission that I need to change -- I need to realize that truly dedicated people do anything they can to achieve their goal, and that it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help (at least, not an unforgivable one).

I know Sutter probably won't have any great news for me -- I'm sure he gets these types of requests all the time. Although I'm willing to take any job on the ground floor of TV or movies right now -- writer's assistant, PA, fluffer, you name it -- the economy sucks, and I'm sure there's a long line of people ahead of me in the same predicament, if not worse. But the important thing to me is that I tried -- I don't want to leave LA knowing I left any stones unturned. To me, that's a notable success. As is the discovery that someone out there is actually reading this blog -- someone whose work I've been religiously following for years. I'm through the looking glass, and I love it!

UPDATE: So I heard back from Mr. Sutter, who very graciously shared a poignant anecdote and some quality advice. I'm tempted to copy and paste the whole e-mail here, but somehow I feel it would lose its coolness (and make no mistake, this whole thing has been very cool) if I did. So I'll summarize: Don't make excuses, don't blame other people, don't worry about if you'll sell anything -- just write. Write what you want, write a good story, and the rest will follow.

That's great advice, and as I've written in this space before, it's advice I'm already taking. Barry and I have been writing our dream project for a little over a month -- a project we've put off for years in favor of more "commercial" projects -- and I've often thought during that time that it's a opportunity we would never have had if not for our fucked-up representation situation. So I'm taking it as a blessing that we can write what we want, that I know we're writing a good story, and we don't have to listen to anyone else's input. That's an opportunity I cherish, and whether it ever sells or gets made is beside the point.

I have to add: Today gave me a mental boost -- just hearing from someone I admire, whose work I enjoy, and having him take the time to offer me some helpful words. And it was all thanks to the internet, and this silly little blog! Thanks, Al Gore!

* Just to give a quick head's up, I hope to post my review of 'The Shield's' final season sometime this week.

TV Review: 'Sons of Anarchy' -- Season One

This is the part where I act like an authority on entertainment, and criticize the work of professionals who are, without exception, more successful than I in the industry in which we both work. Some people would say this is proof I have "balls", or "chutzpah" in Jewspeak. Others would say it's proof I'm a "douchebag". To catch up on any old reviews, you can find the link on the right hand side of the page, or just click here.

It seems most of my reviews here start very much the same way: I talk about how the previews/ads for the show I'm discussing left me lukewarm, and I watched the show with low expectations, only to be happily surprised at how good it is. This dovetails with my experience watching movies all my life -- the lower the expectations, the higher the odds I'll enjoy the experience. But it's not an automatic thing -- I had low expectations for 'My Own Worst Enemy', and I hated the shit out of that.* The same has happened with movies ('Pearl Harbor' and 'Rush Hour 2' are just two of the many movies I knew would suck, but still saw in the theater). Still, it's happened enough that I came up with a rough formula:

(Movie Quality + Ending) / Expectation = Enjoyment

Because I'm aware how much my expectations affect my overall enjoyment, I always try to give a show more time to grow on me, show me one way or the other if my original feeling was well-founded. So, when I first began to enjoy watching 'Sons of Anarchy', which didn't happen until three or four episodes in, I decided not to write a review until I seen a little more. After all, it was a show about a motorcycle gang. That isn't my thing. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen anything featuring a motorcycle gang that I liked in the least. Maybe one is slipping my mind, but I'm pretty sure.

But saying 'SOA' is about a motorcycle gang is like saying 'Mad Men' is about advertising. The headline needs to be the creators -- 'Mad Men' was created by Matthew Weiner, former writer on 'The Sopranos', and 'SOA' was created by Kurt Sutter, former writer on 'The Shield'. Those are pedigrees which demand you at least give the show a fair chance, which is why I stuck with it after I was underwhelmed by the two-hour opening block of the show. But it slowly grew on me, and the final three episodes completely blew me away. In that three and a half hours of TV, the show jumped from an impressive newcomer to one of the best shows on TV. Simultaneously, Sutter rose from a solid TV writer to a a soon-to-be very rich man.

Sutter, who has a background in theater and acting (he appeared as "Margos" the foot-chopper in 'The Shield'), knows how to tell a story. And when a story is well-told, and filled with multi-dimensional characters, it doesn't much matter what world it takes place in. The themes are familiar and relatable: family, friendship, brotherhood, loyalty, financial burdens, etc.

And it helps when the acting is top notch, as it is here. It starts with Charlie Hunnam, who seemed like an odd choice to play the lead, Jackson "Jax" Teller. A British pretty boy as a grizzled biker didn't seem to ring true, but as the show progressed I bought him more and more as the hard-as-nails Jax. Sutter's real-life wife, Katey Segal, play Jax's domineering mother, Gemma to the hilt, and nails it. She's married to Jax's step-dad/gang boss, Clay Morrow, played by the larger (and gruffer) than life, Ron Perlman. Their roles are crucial to the show's success.

Several lesser character's also stand out -- Kim Coates, one of those guys who's been in everything, as Clay's right hand, "Tig"; Ryan Hurst as "Opie", an ex-con trying to juggle a wife and kids with his re-introduction to gang life; and William Lucking, as Opie's dad, one the old-timers in the gang, are just a few in a great ensemble cast full of solid performances. The show has also featured some great guest arcs from the likes of 'The Shield's' Jay Karnes and the always great Ally Walker -- as federal officers with very different motives.

The show follows Jax as he grows from becoming a father, and having to handle extra responsibilities in the gang and in his personal life. All while gaining inspiration from a manuscript left by his deceased father, the former head of the gang. He has to decide between two women in his life who both want him -- an old flame who broke his heart and the mother of his child. He pushes and pulls with Gemma and Clay, who each has the same conflict of interest -- each other. Their involvement with the law -- chiefly, having local police chief Wayne Unser ('Deadwood's' great Dayton Callie) in their pocket -- provides a compelling, and constantly evolving, storyline. The gang politics can bog down a bit, with all of their rivals essentially interchangeable, but there are enough interesting subplots (like a junior member's fledgling romance) to keep you involved at all times.

For awhile I didn't write this review because I wondered if the show would find a groove. When it did, I delayed the review because I thought it might not be able to keep it up. When it did that, I didn't know if it would be able to pay it all off in a satisfying way. It did, and I'm done doubting this show. Now, I'm just impatiently waiting for next season.

Using the age-old Hollywood scale of judgment -- HIGHLY RECOMMEND/RECOMMEND/CONSIDER/PASS (circle one) -- I rate 'Sons of Anarchy':

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

* Though I'll probably still be watching the remaining episodes before it's off the air if my wife has anything to say about it. SPOILER: She will.

Detour/Link Dump

My latest wrap-up of the weekend's NFL action, 'After Further Review...' is up over on NinersNation.com -- jump over and take look. Now!

Once you're through with that, here are a few more links to make your Monday just a touch more bearable:

--Holy Taco, one of my favorite source for link dump material, has their own play on the LOLcat phenomenon, with LOLgrandparents.

--If you like my reviews, and wish I'd do more movies (By the way, I agree, and plan to get to a lot more movies in December), then take a look at the work of the The Filthy Critic, who does it better than I do -- and sees a lot more movies (at least, so far). He's funny, very perceptive, and obviously loves and knows movies as well as anybody.

--If you like Big Daddy Drew's writing from Deadspin or Kissing Suzy Kolber, or you just like raunchy humor and brutal honesty, check out his personal website, Father Knows Shit, where right now he has a post linking to several of his best/funniest pieces about his life.