Great Action Movies - 'Pitch Black'

Written by: Jim Wheat & Ken Wheat and David Twohy
Directed by: David Twohy

'Pitch Black' is an underrated sci-fi film that most people are only aware of because of its sequel 'The Chronicles of Riddick', which saw reasonable success at the box office. But of the two, 'Pitch Black' is light years better, was made on a fraction of the budget ($20m) and without Dame Judi Dench.

As with most great movies, there is a blending of genres - sci-fi, horror, survival and action. 'Pitch Black' sees a transport ship crash land on a baron planet, leaving the few remaining crew and passengers stranded. Amongst the eclectic group of survivors is Richard B. Riddick - escaped convict, murderer. He is accompanied by Johns, a mercenary transporting Riddick to a high-security facility.

As the ship's crew begin to gather supplies and search for a way of the planet, Riddick is bound in chains. But it's not long before he escapes and is mistakenly blamed for the death of a passenger. It soon becomes clear that Riddick isn't the only thing to fear on this planet - a species of night-dwelling monsters are killing off the characters.

We see a subverted but very clear hero's journey. Riddick is a solitary survivor who only looks after number one, but as things develop, it becomes clear that the only way off this planet is through teamwork. Trusted by the crew, Riddick is put to work.

The film is littered with great subplots. It's revealed that Acting Captain Fry wanted to dump the entire passenger bay on crashing, to save her own - proving Riddick's point that people only look after number one. She undergoes a powerful story, bringing the survivors through the ordeal and being faced with a decision in the film's climax - does she leave the planet when she has chance, or go back for those left behind? This ties in directly with Riddick's own story of survival and dependence on others.

The planet's monsters can only see at night and so can Riddick, due to a surgical 'shine job'. This only adds to Riddick's cool as a tough, honest survivor. Add a holy man to highlight the desperation of the situation and a morally ambiguous merc in the form of Johns, and you have yourself a sci-fi classic, far beyond most space adventures in the last few decades.

Trailer:

Weekly Interview (13)

This week's interview is with Ed Solomon ('Men In Black') gives a talk about confidence, scene description and how to influence direction. It's short and sweet, but also very valuable - touching on the basics of screenwriting. Enjoy...

Dollhouse poster

'Dollhouse' season 2 airs at the end of this month. I wasn't the biggest fan at the start - I expected much much more from the writing legend that is Joss Whedon. The episodes were.....average. For any other TV show, I'd have been happy, but this is from the team that gave us the best television in history (in my opinion, of course) - 'Buffy,' 'Angel' and 'Firefly'. But then episode 6 came along and Whedon went wild, throwing everything you thought you knew about the Dollhouse out the gorram window!

So I'm very excited about season 2, especially after seeing this poster. It combines two of my favourite things - martial arts & Eliza Dushku.

And who doesn't love a woman with a weapon?

Charles Harris' treatment workshop

On Saturday, I went to a EuroScript treatment workshop with Charles Harris. I was a little nervous since no-one else I knew seemed to be going, which surprised me. Anyway, I dragged myself out of bed at 6am and made my way down to London.

I got there with a good 45 minutes to space - plenty of time to find London uni and the building I needed to be in. Well, plenty of time if the google map I printed off was any good at all! After a good 20 minutes of wandering round, I finally worked out that the directions were all screwed up. When it said "turn left", it meant "turn right". So I finally found my way to the building.

I met a cool guy who I forget the name of at the moment. He was there to help Charles out - set up the room, sort out the blinds when the sun came streaming in, get drinks etc. As payment, he was allowed to take the workshop free - very clever.

There were only 14 of us in total and Charles was great. Somehow, the guy manages to write full time and teach these courses, all while holding down a job as a martial arts instructor! Now there's a guy with good time management!

We did a lot of exercises and we kept moving round to sit next to someone new. This was annoying at first but I soon realised the point - every time you sat next to someone new, you had to introduce yourself and tell them your idea. As a result, you really began to see the flaws in your story. For example, when you find yourself saying "...so then they run away and shit...." five times over and getting the same "so what?" expression, you see the problem!

Anyway, I heard some great stories and everyone was really passionate about them. We had one film about a woman in the slums of India, whose daughter is stolen by a rich landowner. Another about a man's desperate attempt to get his friends to notice him. And my personal favourite - alien cats at war!!! That made my violent vampire revenge story seem tame!

We didn't just discuss how to write treatments. We also explored the three-act structure and the inner flaw of a character. Charles also provided a simple yet affective cliche-buster - very useful.

Over lunch, I spoke with Charles about 'The Terminator' and the great way we get exposition cloaked in action. "Ah yes," Charles said, smiling. "I use that as an example of one of my 23 ways to hide exposition."

Yes, 23! I was only aware of about 4!!! 23

I tried to bait him into telling me what they were, but it was no good. I'll just have to work them out for myself!

Anyway, I highly recommend Charles' workshops - they're invaluable and I now know loads about treatment writing. Before I dreaded them, but now I know how they work, I'm quite looking forward to writing my next one. I would share what I've learnt with you all, but I'm certain Charles would kick me ass - I did mention he's a martial arts instructor right?

The 11 Laws of Great Storytelling

Yesterday I stumbled across a great article by Jeffrey Hirschberg about the key things to remember when telling a story (specifically a film):

In Gladiator, we are immediately engaged as we are introduced to our hero – General Maximus – and the respect he commands from the Roman army. Add an action-packed, bloody opening battle to the mix, and we are sold.

When you are finished with your script, give the first ten pages to a group of friends or family you trust. Then ask each of them one simple question: “Do you want to read more?” If the overwhelming response is in the affirmative, you are on the right road to writing a memorable screenplay.

Make everything about his/her journey difficult
We love watching our heroes struggle. What would Raiders of the Lost Ark be if Indiana Jones immediately stumbled upon the Ark of the Covenant and brought it back to America? What if John McClane burst into the Nakatomi Christmas party and took out Hans Gruber and all of his henchmen in one momentous moment? And, what if Ellen Ripley easily discovered the Alien’s whereabouts as well as a surefire way to destroy the monster? Boring!

Theme is a tough nut to crack. When I ask my students the theme of Die Hard, they often restate the film’s core concept (or, in Hollywood terms, the “logline”), saying something like, “It’s about a cop thwarting a group of international terrorists while saving his wife and a bunch of innocent people.” While this is true, it doesn’t quite touch on theme. I then dig deeper, suggesting Die Hard is really about a man trying to reconnect with his wife. True, this reconnection takes place amidst the backdrop of an action-packed heist, but at its core, this is a story about John McClane discovering the importance of family and the love and appreciation he has for his wife, Holly.

Read the full article

"Back to the front!"

I've blogged before about musical inspiration, but I'm getting more specific now. I'm a huge fan of Metallica for many reasons, and one of them is the lyrics. James Hetfield is a brilliant songwriter and really explores all aspects of the human mind and society. I thought I'd share a few lyrics with you and maybe there'll spark some ideas - I know they have for me!

DISPOSABLE HEROES is about war - simple as that. It discusses the people who fight in them, really exploring those who join the army and their place in society. I love the way the music represents the theme of the song - the fast guitars clearly imitates gunfire on the battlefield. If you ask me, this song should be compulsory listening for anyone thinking of signing up:

Twenty one, only son
but he served us well.
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say.
Finished here, greetings Death
He's yours to take away.

You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front.
You will die when I say, you must die
Back to the front.
You coward,
You servant,
You blindman,
Back to the front!

Life planned out before my birth, nothing could I say,
Had no chance to see myself, molded day by day.
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done,
Left to die with only friend,
Alone I clench my gun.



MASTER OF PUPPETS is a classic Metallica song with a great concept and some awesome lyrics:

Taste me you will see
More is all you need
Dedicated to
How I'm killing you

Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings
Twisting your mind, smashing your dreams
Blinded by me, you can't see a thing
Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream

Master, Master, where's the dreams that I've been after?
Master, Master, you promised only lies
Laughter, laughter, all I hear or see is laughter
Laughter, laughter, laughing at my cries
Fix me!



WELCOME HOME (SANITARIUM) is inspired by 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' and does a great job expressing the anger throughout the entire film:

Sleep my friend and you will see
that dream is my reality
They keep me locked up in this cage
can't they see it's why my brain says Rage

Sanitarium, leave me be
Sanitarium, just leave me alone

They think our heads are in their hands
but violent use brings violent plans
Keep him tied, it makes him well
he's getting better, can't you tell?

Fear of living on
natives getting restless now
Mutiny in the air
got some death to do
Mirror stares back hard
Kill, it's such a friendly word
seems the only way
for reaching out again.



FADE TO BLACK is one of Metallica's slower and more thought-provoking songs all about the end of life:

I have lost the will to live
Simply nothing more to give
There is nothing more for me
Need the end to set me free

Emptiness is filling me
To the point of agony
Growing darkness taking dawn
I was me, but now he's gone

Yesterday seems as though it never existed
Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye



ENTER SANDMAN is another classic and proves that metal and literary references really can go together well:

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
We're off to never never-land

Something's wrong, shut the light
Heavy thoughts tonight
And they aren't of Snow White
Dreams of war
Dreams of liars
Dreams of dragons fire
And of things that will bite, yeah

Now I lay me down to sleep
Pray the lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
Pray the lord my soul to take

Hush little baby don't say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
It's just the beasts under your bed
In your closet and in your head




ONE is widely considered Metallica's finest masterpieces and one of the best rock songs of all time. It's based on 'Johnny Get Your Gun' which is about a man who was injured in war. As a result, he can't speak, hear, see, move or feel. It's truly haunting song:

Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up, I cannot see
That there's not much left of me
Nothing is real but pain now

Hold my breath as I wish for death
Oh please god, help me

Fed through the tube that sticks in me
Just like a wartime novelty
Tied to machines that make me be
Cut this life off from me

Landmines has taken my sight
Taken my speech
Taken my hearing
Taken my arms
Taken my legs
Taken my soul
Left me with life in hell



UNTIL IT SLEEPS is about James Hetfield's mother and her battle with cancer. Very strangely, it sees James directly addressing the disease that killed his mother:

It grips you so hold me
It stains you so hold me
It hates you so hold me
It holds you so hold me
Until it sleeps

So tell me why you've chosen me
Don't want your grip, don't want your greed
Don't want it

I'll tear me open make you gone
No more can you hurt anyone
And the fear still shakes me
So hold me, until it sleeps



MAMA SAID is a follow-up song, where James talks about the life he had with his mother:

Mama, she has taught me well
Told me when I's young
Son, your life's an open book
Don't close it 'fore it's done
The brightest flame burns quickest
That's what I heard her say
A son's heart's owed to mother
But I must find my way

Let my heart go
Let your son grow
Mama, let my heart go
Or let this heart be still

"Rebel", my new last name
Wild blood in my veins
Apron strings around my neck
The mark that still remains
left home at an early age
Of what I heard was wrong
I never asked forgiveness
But what is said is done



THE DAY THAT NEVER COMES is from Metallica's latest album and is open to interpretation. It's very character-based and captures sadness, remorse and anger:

Born to push you around,
Better just stay down.
You pull away,
He hits the flesh,
You hit the ground.

Waiting for the one!
The day that never comes!
When you stand up and feel the warmth!
But the sunshine never comes!

God I'll make them pay,
Take it back one day.
I'll end this day,
I'll splatter color on this gray.

Love is a four letter word!
And never spoken here!

Weekly Interview (12)

This week's interview is with Sheldon Turner ('The Longest Yard [2005]). Here he talks about his routine, procrastination, alone-time, the importance of theme and why writers who write great outlines and crap scripts! It's a very honest and valuable interview - I implore you to watch it right now! Enjoy...