Really Cool Looking Video

A friend of mine sent me this video by Keith Loutit.

I gotta say it's a really cool video that uses a smart blend of stop-motion photography and tilt-shift lens trickery in a perfect combination with the intent of taking an ordinary place and giving it a heightened reality feel.

Enjoy -JG


Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

What if Watchmen was a cheezy Cartoon?

Here's a hilarious fan parody that shows just how cheezy Watchmen would look if cleaned-up to become kid friendly...

Of course the whole conceit behind Watchmen is adult in nature, so I'm quite glad this never happened, but alas, here's the clip for your viewing pleasure! -JG

Hitler Dismayed by new Watchmen Ending!!!

This clip has been used for other purposes a few times before - but it still cracks me up whenever someone finds a new use for it.

The subtitles work quite well with the content and man - somebody just needs to tell 'ole Adolph to get over the fact the original squid ending is gone (there were solid reasons) and that he should go see the film and decide for himself...

If you want to know more about why the squid ending was left by the wayside - keep an eye out for the Watchmen cover story I wrote for the March/April 2009 issue of Creative Screenwriting Magazine.

Please note - they do spoil what the new ending is in this clip - so - if you're trying to avoid that information - only watch this after you've enjoyed the film!

Enjoy! - JG

Watchmen - The Keene Act PSA

Here's another great viral video, this time a 1970s styled Public Service Announcement about the Keene Act, the legislation that forced superheroes to retire as they were deemed dangerous vigilantes.

Again - this clip is nowhere to be found in the film and although it's filled with too much exposition to be chopped straight in - it's really well done and I could see how some of this could end up in a longer director's cut... Enjoy! - JG

The Full Dr. Manhattan Newscast

I really like this clip. Oddly very little of it is in Watchmen. Actually - most of the footage of Dr. Manhattan (B&W here - which looks cool) is shown in pieces during the film - but this news show isn't in the film and it's kind of cool.

Of course there's way too much exposition for it to be in the film and it's really only intended as a viral video - but it's definitely got some style - so enjoy...-JG

Alan Moore Discusses Watchmen

Keep an eye out on newsstands for the Watchmen cover story I wrote for Creative Screenwriting Magazine featuring an interview with screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse - but how about a few words from the master himself, Watchmen writer Alan Moore! - JG

Kate Winslet's Oscar Plan - as told to Ricky Gervais!

Extras was a fantastic show and I totally thought of this clip once I first heard about The Reader - so - now that's she's won an Oscar - it's quite a funny Kate Winslet clip indeed. I wonder if she now regrets doing this skit? Oh - well. She gave a fantastic performance in The Reader - so it's all good... enjoy the clip - JG

Hoorah For Itunes!

Well - this was a cool week.

Itunes recognized the Creative Screenwriting Magazine podcast and featured it on it's main podcast homepage.

Our numbers were great before - but this shot us up to number 6 out of the top 100 podcasts in the Film and TV section and to number 56 out of the top 100 podcasts in the main podcasting section.

Thanks Itunes!

And thanks to you for listening in as well!

And heya - while we're chatting about Itunes - don't forget to leave us a positive review on Itunes as well!

I became quite busy with Sundance and am now putting the finishing touches on the March/April 2009 issue (and yes I'm writing a Watchmen cover story) - so expect more blogging after those deadlines...

I plan to podcast the Sundance experience as best I can - so - definitely drop me a line and let me know what you think once those episodes go live.

More Oscar writing nominee episodes are on their way into Itunes soon - so keep an eye out. - JG

History Has Been Made Today...

And man am I psyched to see what tomorrow brings...

Thanks to all who've debated with me these last few months...it's been intriguing to say the least...

Needless to say I was pacing around like a fanatic at a sporting event for the first few hours of results and then started to calm down toward the end... I am quite happy with the final results to say the least. -JG

A New Hope On Election Day?

So - I've grown quite tired of arguing with old friends and acquaintances about politics - especially when so many of them are misinformed.

I really wish people would learn to use sites like www.factcheck.org to learn actual facts and cut through the spin - but of course - it would seem that folks are much happier believing half-truths than the actual truth.

As for the above picture - for anyone reading this outside the United States - it is a clear parody which mixes Obama's "Hope" Campaign poster with Luke Skywalker and the title of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.

I find it hilarious but can't decide if the image is from Episode IV or not... I mean - Luke wears dark clothes in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi - so - I kinda wished he was in the white robe from Episode IV - but whatever - you get it.

My friend Claude who is as sick as I am of the politicized-spin encountered in all media this year replied with the following hilarious comment when considering Luke Skywalker as a 2008 presidential candidate:

"Luke Skywalker is an inexperienced elitist Jedi Knight who wants to convert the entire galaxy to the Force, which will raise taxes on middle-class planets and destroy their proud way of life. And he looks French."

Claude's hilarious - and maybe should work in a Republican think-tank but I guess were someone to further politicize the image - they'd have to add this as well:

"This Jedi sympathizer is also a rebel terrorist who has repeatedly fought and plotted against the Empire and commonly associates with other terrorists and enemies of the Empire."

I guess it'd be funnier if it wasn't so sad to see how misleading the Republican party has been ranging from a Plumber they call "average" even though he seemingly out-earns the working class that the Republicans claim to be protecting...

...To the folksy VP candidate who is so down to Earth that she wears the most expensive outfits one can find with the purpose of donating them to charity - a tradition that I guess comes from having the power to "read everything," as she told a reporter when asked what publications she reads.

Wow - I wonder if she's read any of my stuff in Empire, Total Film, Variety, The Los Angeles Times or even Creative Screenwriting?

Alas - here's hoping for an Obama win - and a bunch of votes toward seriously restructuring the Congress as well.

Then maybe laws can be enacted the way they were supposed to have been - which isn't exactly from the throne of the oval office with special "war time powers."

Who knows? With enough votes, maybe the Empire may finally come to the end?

Heck - I'd dance with Ewoks if that happened - and well - I freaking hate Ewoks - 'nuff said. -JG

I actually can't say it better myself...

So - I'm reposting Jon Stewart's smart and sadly comedic assessment of our current "crisis." I think the rush to a deal with no oversight due to an emergency has in the past proven to be ineffective and irresponsible to say the least.. these clips demonstrate that quite well...--JG

Stewart and the rush to for a deal with little analysis:



Stewart and his awkward loan interview:

Plato on Play-Doh

Allright - it's fancier than that...but still...

This is a kinda cool random flick featuring Plato's The Cave allegory. Expect more random postings than I did this summer - which really fell off...

Expo planning is in its intense stage now - remember if you want to go and want to save 10% use the discount coupon code: CSPODCAST to save on your price of admission.

I'll leave one spoiler note below...




Spoiler note: Consider this - if these guys were prisoners in a cave next to each other for a long, long time - is it really feasible that when one of them comes back the others wouldn't recognize his voice? The story still works - and what he's describing to them might still be indecipherable - but not recognize his voice? That's pushin' it Plato... --JG

The Dark Knight Soars to New Heights of Masterful Storytelling

This is amazing character-driven action writing and one of the greatest adaptations I've ever seen of material stemming from the illustrated page. In my podcast today I mentioned that The Dark Knight certainly deserves writing nominations. It also deserves a best picture nomination as well since it really is the best film I've seen this year.

Here characters are often tempered through action and they in fact grow through the action. Action also reinforces the thematic of "How far will you go to deliver justice?"

Everything really fits into place and works in this film which smartly comments about the times we live in without hitting you over the head with it. Even the dialogue says a lot even as the characters are generally saying so little. It's really tight writing and great structuring.




I had a screenwriting friend who wanted me to break down the plot of the film after I saw it three weeks ago, spoilers included, so that he could figure out what everyone was raving so much about.

I refused to do so because as I explained, there isn't anything truly new in this film so much as it simply adds the classic tenets of drama to the mythology of the Batman universe.

There's a familiarity of the world you're in while at the same time the presentation of the narrative and character arcs have been so meticulously well thought out that everything does in fact seem new and polished. It truly has to be seen to be believed.

Of course, I think this response only annoyed my pal since he was convinced that if someone would just tell him the secrets of the film - he might get a leg up on his own project, which is again absurd because the only secret of The Dark Knight is to take the high road when it comes to narrative and character writing - which isn't easy to do.

After he sees the film, I'm going to ask him what he possibly could have told me were the roles reversed. What "secret" or spoiler from this film could help you in your own writing vs. did experiencing watching other writers setting the bar so high for the genre inspire you to do so yourself? Nothing I could have emailed him could have enlightened him to the film's masterful writing beyond me emailing him a PDF of the script itself.

The Dark Knight's character writing is so strong that I couldn't wait to return to the characters when immersed in an extended action sequence, like the prisoner transfer. Sure the characters are all there - but - the real anticipation of bringing them close together to see how they interact is what kept me on edge. The film's final confrontation between The Joker and Batman was sublime.




As discussed in my podcast with co-writer Jonathan Nolan, he and his brother, co-writer/director Chris Nolan and (story by writer) David S. Goyer all envisioned The Joker as a force of nature, which is a cool conception but not so easy to translate to the screen - yet, they totally pulled it off. Ledger's acting was incredible and definitely nomination worthy - but - I certainly hope people don't forget about the excellent performance by Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent.




The writing of the Harvey Dent character was Shakespearean in scope and is the character with the grandest arc in the whole film. Dent goes through the most change phsycially and of course mentally as Gotham's White Knight falls when we see his conceits of justice meld into a lust for revenge by the film's end. It's great writing and Eckhart simply "got it" which is evident in every frame of his strong performance.

I was really glad Jonathan Nolan was able to sit down for our podcast (you can find it in Itunes) and hope that during the awards season this excellent film is properly rewarded with the nominations it deserves.

I've already seen The Dark Knight twice in Imax and have been absolutely blown away by it and can't wait to see it for the third time on Saturday night... - JG

Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford discuss The Empire Strikes Back - way back....

Ah the fun of Youtube, here's a Today Show interview about The Empire Strikes Back shortly before it came out. It's especially interesting to hear the 3 prequel concept explained all the way back then...



And then of course the second part, where Hamill oddly makes a comparison that involves a sister - this of course a few years before the sister revelation in Jedi...
Enjoy - JG

Acting is For Orangutans - thank goodness writing isn't. Whew .

If the marketplace wasn't tough enough already..-JG

The Foot Fist Way Conan TV Appearance

In this week's Creative Screenwriting Magazine Podcast in Itunes of The Foot Fist Way Q&A, an audience member asks about the Conan O'Brien TV appearance made in Feb. 2008.

For your viewing convenience - I've posted the clip below. It's quite amusing, and for the film's sake, I wish it'd been closer to release, but still feel its a very cool bit of marketing. Enjoy - JG

And of course now the clip has been pulled - stay tuned - I'll try and find it again! Email me if you have it!

Cinematic Losses

I was very saddened by the passing of the great filmmaker Sydney Pollack this week, which of course only reminds me of the other cinematic loss suffered this year with the passing of Anthony Minghella.

I've been fortunate enough to have had the honor of interviewing both of these film greats in years past and while I can't say I knew them personally, felt compelled to remember them here.

I interviewed Mr. Pollack as part of the Interpreter cover story for Creative Screenwriting Magazine and he was very generous with his time for the interview. As co-writers Scott Frank and Steven Zaillian explained in the article, Mr. Pollack had a passion for storytelling and took the development process very seriously. While exhausting at times, Mr. Pollack strove for the story to be the best it could be and refused to settle for any sort of short-cutting.

He was very supportive of our coverage and frankly I'd had it in the back of my mind to try and figure out some sort of a retrospective piece on his work. Yet, I'm sad to say I never got around to doing it. I felt lucky to have interviewed him and as a fan of his work have always had the deepest amount of respect for him.

I first interviewed Mr. Minghella for Cold Mountain as the cover story in Creative Screenwriting Magazine and he was also kind enough to come spend time with us for a screening and Q&A of the film. I had recorded this Q&A although it was in the days before podcasting and the tape seems to have been slightly damaged, but probably fixable. I'm hoping to one day restore the footage and get it online.

Mr. Minghella was a fascinating interview since his process, especially in his research stage, was very in-depth and focused. Upon the completion of research he seemed to store the information in his deep in the back of his mind allowing it to bubble forth as needed while writing his scripts. In effect if he remembered something he researched, he deemed it worthy enough to be put in his script as opposed to having a stack of papers by him when he wrote.

After the screening he stayed around to chat with our readers and subscribers and sign various books and posters. A few years later he was kind enough to double-book a screening with us, meaning he drove across town from one screening and Q&A to ours. While many busy writer/directors can always do this - few wind up doing it as it really takes a lot of time and energy to do two Q&As in one night. I made sure that we were the last stop of the night so that we'd have more time for our Q&A.

That Q&A for Breaking and Entering can be heard in Itunes as part of Creative Screenwriting's podcast. Again Mr. Minghella was very kind to our readers and subscribers afterwards and his presence on the big screen will be greatly missed.

Both Mr. Minghella and Mr. Pollack's company Mirage had a bunch of interesting projects in various stages of development. It will be interesting to see what the fate of those projects become. I hope that somehow a few of them make it to the screen as they always had such good taste.

Ultimately, talented filmmakers live on through their films and based on the work left behind by these two greats, I'm confident that they shall be admired and studied for years to come. -JG

A Great Week to be a Geek!

So um,

I've seen Iron Man and it's an excellent comic-book adaptation.

Surprisingly a bit more violent for a PG-13 film than I'd expected, it'll be interesting to see if parents complain. Of course, middle-eastern terrorists are being killed -- so I'm guessing there'll be few complaints.

What's so great about Iron Man is how well its character-driven focus translates to the screen. Rather than getting caught up in a multitude of villians (here only two work together for just the right amount of time) and their villian back-stories, we focus on a transformational arc for Tony Stark as he realizes that he could probably do more good for the world.

A day after seeing Iron Man I got my special edition Grand Theft Auto IV which includes a soundtrack, book of art, Rockstar Games bag and most importantly my authentic GTA IV lockbox! I can only wonder what crazy things I'll figure out to lock up in there...



I'm digging the game which will itself break records this week financially, but will also serve as a wake-up call to the marketplace that this M-Rated (Mature) game has a large audience of adults with money to spend on non-traditional and at times even risque (but not pornographic, at least not what I've seen) adult entertainment.

Most importantly the game provides an immersive character experience where you can go on missions that play into the game's structure or of course you can utilize other GTA "Sandbox" games throughout the huge city and have fun on your own with a gamut of entertaining activities.

Iron Man and GTA IV in one week - gotta say - it's been a heck of an entertaining week...--JG


See More Grand Theft Auto IV Screenshot at IGN.com

Davey and Son of Goliath

Mark Bell of Film Threat recently revived this video, which I'd kind of forgotten about - but ya know - share and share alike, it's always cracked me up. If ya dig this you can easily find a few more in Youtube as well...

Enjoy -JG

Wain Attacks Web! (like months ago)

Um, there was a David Wain Surge on the web last summer and I believe this utterly silly and great show, Wainy Days, was even mentioned briefly in The Ten podcast we did - but I somehow forgot to ever watch the damn thing until today.

Wow - am I slow or what? (answer is yes)

But the good news about jumping in to an ongoing comedic serial webshow is that you don't have to wait for new episodes to be posted since there's already two seasons up there that you can blaze through.

Wainy Days is as plot-driven as Lost and as dramatically intense as an episode of ER where a small child dies so - you really gotta watch every episode - in order, all the way through.

I asked writer-director Wain about his writing process for these webisodes via email today and he was cool enough to respond before heading in for surgery.

When asked about how much improv vs. scripted material there is in each episode Wain replied:

"It's 95% scripted but improv is allowed!"

The rest of his answer was garbled as I think the anesthetic had kicked in. - JG