its been a while.
Well I'm trying to edit the third novel.Before I do the fund raising thing for an editor again.

Then their is the animation script I have to finish by next week.

My other work to make a living.

Busy bees try to make honey.
Writers try to make dough.

With the lack of sales, this blog is going to make way for the new novel.

STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS, CONTINUITY AND EISENSTEIN

Well after reading some of the zero reviews on Meta critic and reading some of the posts reddit allowed (they deleted those who gave away too much with spoilers.  Does Disney own reddit?)

I tried to cleanse my mind reading Eisenstein film theory, p 150

Film and art even music is about emotions.  How does one control the problem?

The problem as   Eisenstein put it is simple and complex.  “The problem of portraying an attitude toward the thing portrayed.

Eisenstein goes into an analysis of his theory.

But let’s apply this to JJ Abram’s latest film.  (I am not a JJA hater; I loved Alias, and the MI 3-5 films.  I just want him to apply his God given talents instead of being blocked by Hollywood’s money machine)

I did not feel emotionally attached to any of the new characters.  First problem.

Second problem, the characters were flat, and thus the emotional connection could not be established with either the protagonists or the one antagonist.

How could this problem have been solved?

First slowing down the pace of the film   the law of structure.  P 151.

I know I achieved that in my book Siolam- A Black Bart Western.  Now if I could only achieve that in my next novel.

http://www.amazon.com/Darrell-J-Banks/e/B00I33S10C

Old posts from the blog I cannot merge

Beverly Hills Cop

Back in the day when I was a Lee  little Lad, 1971.  Clint Eastwood starred with Jessica Walter. Wind it up forty years later I never thought I would interview Richard Walter (UCLA).  Play Misty for me was a great movie, which I intend to review once the DVD stops skipping.  For now we will have to make do with Beverly Hills Cop. A friend of mine was friends with Gill Hill. I actually got to sit in his office before he retired. Thanks LW or Sonny to his friends.  I even attended the premiere of Beverly Hills Cop 3 at the Fox theatre. But that was a different movie. And our focus today is on Beverly Hills Cop.  The DVD menu shows us Eddie, just off of SNL, slim and trim. Back then, Paramount ruled the world (Harvey Weinstein took over that role in the  2012 Golden Globes.  A  Southfield Kid Jerry Bruckheimer opens the movie with Black kids hanging out and shows Black Detroiters  surviving the hot summer Beer cans, trashed out building ,weeds.  Has it really been that long?  Detroit and Michigan became showcases for film (10th according to Nikki Finke 2011) Eddie is doing business selling cigs; he refuses to accept two grand instead of five.

Act 1 S 1 A D.P.D. car pans by and investigates the sale.  Eddie wants a jump; the police want  to see Eddies I.D .and the sound track spins off to the Pointer sisters.  A double-loaded semi destroys Plymouths and Eddie cruises the east-side of Detroit.  Like the song said, some things never change (Emergency Financial managers 2012).  But the rough and tough side of Detroit is show along with my favorite radio station at the time WDRQ.

This opening act is  reminiscent of the Blues Brothers closing theme  and leads to a climax that back then was great.  Edie is smoked out and told to freeze; they should have known it was him.  Eddie always fucks up. (That role continued into  Dave/ Dream Girls.)  But he created a persona that has lasted for decades.

Gill Hill is upset. Axel is a wise ass, with great potential. The boss doesn’t want to be fucked up with. Axel rides into the station in  his vintage Nova and learns that the premise of this story lies in Beverly Hills.  He finds and old friend, does an S.N. L laugh, and set off for  California in  search of bearer bonds.  His friend works as a security guard in the Hills.  Back then they didn’t run background checks and Axel became a cop and his friend entered into a life of crime.  Both friends are drunk Axel is knocked out and one of my favorite actors Jonathon Banks does it Detroit style.  Two in the back of the head.  Axel refuses to go the hospital and must pursue a lead. CUT TO.

ACT 2   I once drove past this route on Sunset Beverly Hills, the trees, the hotel, the circular dive. Rodeo Dr, has a great parking lot.  But the offices of some the major production companies do not make one jump for joy.  He pulls up to the Wilshire hotel and the doorman takes his bag.  Eddie/Axel talks himself into a room. Using the late Michael Jackson as a prop, Axel finds himself in a suite. He got off cheap now a days it costs Axel laughs at a leather suit he will wear in his comedy tour  and we find ourselves back to the premise of the story.  The character development here is the focus of the story.  He is a police officer/fuck up.  Jenny, Serge and Axel find themselves lost in a plot that would not survive today’s market.  Back then stories were allowed to develop.  A small scene in Act one would move a character from plot point to plot point.   Axel being a fuck up seeks to deliver some flowers to Victor.  Using a well used device, the killer is in the room as Axel confronts the antagonist Victor.  Using Detroit as a violent city character, Victor deflects the foils with several bodyguards, they throw him through a window and the police arrest Axel.  Making jokes Axel knows he is being rail roaded and the movie shows us computers that could have been used in 1968. .    Eddie is punched by Taggert and the characters’ reveal the reality of 1980’s LA. Taggert is forced to apologize and Foley passes on criminal charges.   Damon Wayans (with hair) has a speaking part giving out bananas and Axel remains in character and tries to find evidence on the killers.

ACT 3.  In normal character development the protagonist changes.  But here the trio of supporting characters change their views to support the protagonist.  Axel knows his friend was killed over the bearer bonds. No one believes him.  But by Act 3 to keep the audience enticed, even the Beverly Hills police are supporting Axel. 

The Force Awakens- Star Wars or something like it.

A review

When George Lucas finished his trilogy, Act 1 had great potential.  Act 2 fell flat with the woods and ewoks.  Act three had father against son and ended with well peace in the world and a classic ending.

Well the three-act structure again with Volumes 1.  2. 3. sort of worked.

The people went to one didn’t like two or three.

So to the rescue came JJ.Abrams to save Disney’s 4 billion purchase of the Star Wars Franchise.

JJ and crew kept everything a secret and for  a good reason.

Reddit forums et.  al.

Did Han Solo die?  (Hold that thought)

Was JA JA Binks a dark Jedi master?

Decisions, decisions.  JJ went with one of those two.  I will not focus on the film itself.  Just film theory

Character Development-

The black Jedi, for all the controversy over his holding the light saber should be surpassed, by the reference that he was the janitor on  a super secret project (maintenance).

Don’t worry they don’t make the black guy the hero, he does a lot of running and folks make a comment about that a lot.

The female Jedi- how does she really develop her force powers, no Yoda, Obi Wan or even Luke to practice her skills, but she manages just fine.  She is the only character along with the Millennium Falcon that has  any character arch.

Princess/General Leah picked up a check.

Han well he does have a role that makes his performance in Return of the Jedi Oscar worthy.

Luke, well, you will have to wait a while to see if he actually speaks in the movie.

Plot, well when Spike Lee directs, writes and produces his movies he usually is skewered by the press even when the movie is great.

JJ Abrams got a pass with all these nines and tens in film reviews. Mad Max Fury Road it is not.

See the meteoritic reviews on imdb.com especially those at or below fifty percent.

http://www.metacritic.com/movie/star-wars-episode-vii---the-force-awakens

Film Theory- is it a mom- pop flick, or just showing off the robots.  What genre is The Force Awakens?

Hard sci fi.  No?

Romantic Comedy No/?

Action Adventure No?

It does not quite fit into a pigeonhole which why after just seeing this film I still give it a two/ten.

I wish I had fallen asleep on the movie.  But I did get to see the preview for the Captain America 3 film.  That should be great movie but in the mean time to cleanse my mind of the Force Awakens, I will watch Return of the Jedi.  I know Luke speaks in that one.  

Character creation

Miami Vice Season One Disk 2.

I know most of the actors on Miami Vice are still with us.  God, fate, or fortune.  But one isn’t and he was one of the most brilliant characters created the Nug man, AKA Noggie.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0055864/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t11

The Nug man died a long time ago, but thanks to the greatness of Miami Vice, the character actors and character driven tele-plays.

In this episode called Cool Running,  we find out that sometime the cops cannot do anything better then ride it out with a  C.I. as Crockett says  in Miami you cannot live without them.

The Nug man was selling anything he just arrived out of prison.  But he discovers that a cell mate Desmond is on the hit list of Miami Vice.  So he plays them to be released, then the cops find out he really does know Desmond and decides to use him.

By Act 2, everything is in place, but we find out nothing is, as it seems in Miami.

Cops compete against each other to determine who has the biggest cojones in South Beach.

This leads to a shooting and the quest to find Desmond.

What can you as a writer learn from watching this episode on demand or DVD?

Well, we find the supporting characters playing a bigger role then the stars.

Saundra Santiago and crew help Crockett and Tubbs to achieve their goals.  But unfortunately, the write has created a smarter antagonist.

How do you that?  Well there are two theories the great Robert McKee’s and mine.  While my theory is not unique for character has always been a factor in any great story.

You cannot try two writer’s tricks, hide something from the audience, which Miami Vice does well as many cop show s do or reveal something via a character, which everyone does.

In Act, one the Nug man is introduced as a slick character, smooth talking like the book Swag by Elmore Leonard.  He will sale anything, which should have given the audience a clue.

When is arrested because of the bumbling of Switek and Zito he has a paper bag over his face.  Clearly, they want to use him as an informant but have not figured out how to do so.

Then the antagonist uses an opportunity to look at a police report having heard Desmond’s name called out.

Now Desmond; like most good antagonists is not shown, we don’t know who he is.

We know he shot two cops and drives a van and that is about it.  We know he shot some dope dealers and almost got Crockett and Tubbs killed by a bulldozer.

When the antagonist does show up in Act three the Nug man has gone from coolness to scared.

The antagonist Desmond has been shown to be a bad man.

The writer has done his job; he has created a direct conflict between the protagonist Crockett who must save the Nug man from the antagonist.

Good luck

When I wrote my first non fiction book five plus years ago. Prof Walter was writing his book.
I sent him a copy of my book, he then agreed to this interview.

Slightly  edited
.

NINETEEN QUESTIONS WITH PROF RICHARD WALTER, UCLA Dept Chairman

By Darrell J. Banks

CR 2011 All rights reserved worldwide

1.     What do you remember from your childhood that molded you into a writer and teacher?

My father was a musician and I grew up in a family and community where the arts were very important.

2.     Who do you want to thank for your break in Hollywood?

Irwin R. Blacker, my writing teacher at film school.

 EDIT

4.     What is determinative of creative and great writing within the screenplay?

 Great screenwriting is integrated, that is, every sight and sound (which is all you get to put in a screenplay) palpably, measurably, identifiably moves the story forward and, in doing so, advances the audiences connection with the characters.

5.     Is Hollywood anti American in light of Navy Seals (Charlie Sheen), Platoon (Charlie Sheen), Blood Diamonds (Leonardo Dicaprio) etc... I believe we always waved the flag in most Hollywood films, do you?

  

 Hollywood is hugely pro American. It is the single largest business in the largest state (economic), contributes more than any other industry to the reduction of the budget and trade deficits, and spreads American ideas and the American (way) throughout the world.  What is that dream?  That in America the humblest, poorest soul can succeed if she is willing to get educated and work hard.  This is what Hollywood movies are about.

6.     What did your professors teach you that made you a famous writer/teacher?

To salute the courage that it takes to declare yourself an artist to live the creative life, to swap your day dreams for dollars and to traffic in your own imagination.

7.     What role should television and film (informative, entertaining or commercial) play in educating the public about crucial issues?

It should just try to tell good stories. As soon as it tries to teach lessons, it becomes intellectual and self conscious and heavy handed worst of all, it becomes boring.  No worthy cause was ever helped by a boring movie. Informative, entertaining, and commercial are not mutually exclusive enterprises. In the great dramatic narratives since the early Greeks; the best stories work together and manifest a synthesizing influence on the audience.

8. Do you think your 2007 NPR interview has influenced film makers (Hurt Locker etc) or do you believe they made commercial choices with these films?

I don’t remember that interview. What did I say? I give so many interviews!  That said, there are only two choices. They are good choices and bad choices. The former lead to engagement of an audience; the latter lead to boredom.

 EDIT

10.     Writers and directors like Steven Spielberg have worked in a variety of story modes (action, drama, comedy) how does a writer avoid being type cast into one line of work (comedy or drama)?

You can’t control what others think of you. Forget about everything but what matters to you, plumb your passion and don’t try to gear yourself for how others may categorize you.

11.  Why does it take time to create a great writer? Is it possible to be great writer with three screenplays produced or unproduced?

Why does it take time to create a great surgeon? There‘s a lot to learn. Three screenplays are too little a count for success. The exceptions are just that exceptions.

12.  How has the role of the entertainment evolved since 2005 to present day ala Net-Flix’s domination of the secondary market?

 It hasn’t evolved. It’s the same as it was thousands of years ago in ancient Greece. It’s all about story.

13.  Do actors and writers have to choose better topics faced with a 56 inch television market available on demand at home?

No.

14.  In a prior interview you stressed “Poetics” by Aristotle as the foundation of film writing. What was “Poetics “impact on your writing?

Read my books. “The Poetics” is the user’s manual for writing dramatic narratives. In my view, its biggest contribution is the notion of beginnings, middles and ends.

15.  What element in film creation makes for a boring film?  Overwriting.  That is, lack of integration; sights and sounds; scenes that do not advance the story.

16.  Do you believe the late Orson Welles intended to create a theme in his movies or was he just following the money path?

 No worthy artist intends to create a theme.  Theme is always surprise to the writer. Following the money path is what the genius greet dramatists and Shakespeare and Aaron Sorkin  have done. The suggestion that there is tension between commerce and art in drama is a myth, a hoax and lie.

17.  Why is character creation before story format not important? (My theory is different)

EDIT

 Characters don’t exist outside of the story. The story is what the characters do and say, right?

20. What would you do if you retired next year?

a. Write a book?

b. Take a world tour?

c. Write a spec script?

d. None of the above?

E. All of the above.