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.

INCONGRUITY

A technique used often in comedy that in the 21^st century has transposed to some dramas.

P 108 NTC’S Dictionary of Literary terms.

Since I put  the book on lulu.com, I wonder really wonder who made up this word.

a. inharmonious

b incompatible

c. elements that do not belong together.

Like promoting a book, while writing a book and trying to edit a second book.

While writing this blog has been enjoyable, the second novel has become interesting and a challenge.

Yes interesting, this time around I’m trying to obtain funding from an approved source for artists.

If I raise the target, I keep the money.  If I do not it goes into the fund.  ?????

So having written romantic comedies I find this like a set up, punch line and joke.

Comedy is easy once you find the formula.

Setup Writing a book.

Punch line promoting the first book.

Joke; well that is on me this time.

MAD  MAX FURY ROAD- DISK 2 Real Special Effects

The Flipper, a shot of a car flipping can take on a life of its own. Mad Max Fury  road features a lot of story boards.

Rigging, cranes, cameras, math, physics, and  the war rig. Morsovs’  Leap  shows  us real film making, by a great director and crew.  Not too much CGI, which is why Fury Road garnered lots of great reviews and awards.

What motivates you to do something?  Theron said she is not method driven, (Stanislavsky)  but she embraced  that method in Fury Road.

What motivates  you to write,is it real and character driven?

Game of Thrones –Season three

Well disk four and five were interesting. Nothing like a blood bath to change the plot structure. I’ve been told unless I watch season one, I won’t understand the series at all.

Well, after watching two complete seasons this is what I gather.

A King was slain by the king slayer.

The king slayer is on the run and held by someone who meets the fate  the king slayer should have received, dragons well they do grow slowly.

People talk a lot.

That dialog does not reveal the characters, plot or structure.

Something bad is coming that will either unite or divide the factions to follow the one true king.

Umh.

Now most television series build themselves on repetition. Same characters, sets, plot points etc.

Now in Max Max Fury Road they used 3500 story boards to break down  what they wanted to do

Game of ‘Thrones season three could have used more boards. The story line of four or is it five stories is befuddling.

Mad Max based on four films has a constant theme, speed, challenge, dramatizing a story in constant movement said  Theron.

Game of Thrones has people in movement, riding horses, sailing ships, waking from winter.

Fury Road has real cars, real people, and contains the roots of Mad Max 1 and 2, kinetic  energy.

I wish every movie and television show has kinetic energy.

I think Siolam has that energy always moving forward, always seeking something.  Kinetic energy.

MAD  MAX FURY ROAD- DISK 2 Real Special Effects

Charlize Theron was tired of hair and makeup thus she shaved her head in Mad Max Fury Road

In the disk 2 DVD she has grown her hair back.  The costume department  and weaponers are featured, showing us the techniques needed to make a great film.  We see  Ms. Theron shooting at green screens.

In Game of Thrones season three the actors talk along as episode 10 moves along ( commentary) as they watch themselves in performance amazed at their own  creation and the cast.

Truth.

That is what all artists strive for, but is that truth, is it self evident if it does not create a hit.

We all know what we like. In film, music and television does a thing succeed if it does not  make money?.

In the quest for same I put the book Siolam on another site. Eventually I will make it an eBook.

If a work of art is not making money on television it is yanked ( antenna TV).  Cable seems to be more forgiving for it has two revenue streams ( advertising and paid subscribers).

Thus the success of Game of Thrones. More on that later. I know my book Siolam contains the truth about the 1872 wild west.

STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS – THE PRE REVIEW

In the seventies well, packaging and promotion existed.  But you were not inundated with it.  See the print financial times, which indicates 1.7 billion for Disney’s consumer products 2015 and a projected 5 billion for The Force awakens before DVD sales.

Which makes me very scared for the new Star Wars film.  Will it be a classic work of film?  Well according to the target, car commercials, t-shirts, toys etc it will be a classic work of marketing.

Reddit, you tube et.  al have been focused on Star Wars ever since JJ Abrams abandoned the Star Trek universe because he wanted to make more money (marketing, merchandise etc)

See, so every time, and I mean every time you see a commercial featuring anything on Star Wars the  Force Awakens, just think of 2 cents being deposited to JJ Abrams bank account.

https://www.thewrap.com/how-web-star-trek-rights-killed-jj-abrams-grand-ambitions-91766/

Now I will see the film, God willing, but there comes a time when one has to decide is it a film or something else.

Earlier this week Avid at a live webinar with the editors, where you could live chat etc with the editors of Star Wars the Force Awakens.

This link may or may not work, in any event its one hour plus.

http://connect.avid.com/Star-Wars-Webinar-On-Demand-Landing-Page-Webinar-Player.html?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRohuK7PZKXonjHpfsX57OUrUaCg38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YIFSsZlI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFS7TMMbdmwLgLXBc%3D

My feed was too slow, but I did watch a replay for about a half hour.

I hope the film lives up to the hype.  I like Bad Robot productions and JJ Abrams film theory,

--- Alias, Mission 4-5, Star Trek 1 but when a thing, anything is so hyped to be great before it is even seen or reviewed it often has the egg been born before the chicken.

What if the film stinks?

Character Flaws

Aloha

When I was on facebook, most of my Asian fbf panned Aloha.  Think about that how you would feel if a black person went through a movie saying, I’m one-fifth ____.

Halle Berry has done a few movies where she mentioned her race.

But here Emma Stone makes it a point to say she is ¼ Hawaiian.

There is a point to that.

Act 1

Ms. Stone tells us she is a top gun pilot and ¼ Hawaiian

Bradley Cooper tells us he is an injured pilot soldier etc.

Premise can he convince the Native Hawaiians to conduct a ceremony so that a satellite can be launched.

Secondary mission, see his old girlfriend and find out about her child.

Act 2

The character arch flies off the handle.  Emma Stone doesn’t want to be Cooper’s latest conquest.

1. Laptops.

2 Eavesdropping on conversations etc.

Act 3

Is it really a satellite?

Is it really his child?

Can anyone be trusted?

How it failed.  Well, despite the casting choices for the 1/4Asian character, there is no conflict.

The characters have to have something to do then run from place to place (hotel, Air Force base, ex-girl friend’s house etc)

Who messed up?  Well nobody, it’s a movie, worth a rental if the ¼ Asian thing does not offend you.

While I had issues with it, I also know that in the history of film at least she wasn’t like the film within a film in Bruce Lee Dragon that he took offense to and caused him to want to walk out of the movie when everyone was laughing.

Understanding great characters- Part 2

Miami Vice Season one disk one

By Act 2 the premise has been established Crockett and Tubbs' have found out that both of them are not drug players but are in fact cops.  Although Tubbs' has a trick or too in store  for the Miami Vice cops.  Both though have a mission of revenge and at the end of Act 3 must decide if they want to remain on the right side of the law.

How did the writer do this?

As the bonus material on disk one states, cop shows have been around since the dawn of television.  Car 54, Barney Miller, up to today’s C.S.I.

Miami Vice used music, and sparse dialog to make their characters appear bigger than life.  Think Peter Gabriel’s Big Time, although in the pilot it was Phil Collin’s In the Air Tonight that made Act three the greatest moment in television that year.

So how do you construct a character besides the usual approach?

You could read my book on character.

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

Or follow this two-step process.

1. Does your character fit your story?

2. Does your character change by Act 2; is the change complete by Act 3?

Understanding great characters

Miami Vice Season one disk one

If you want to know how to introduce your characters start with this disk.  It works for any type of writing but it especially works for  character development in the novel and the screenplay.

Why?

You have to be willing to sacrifice your supporting characters.  I sacrificed a great character in Siolam.  I would have liked to keep him around, but the character had to go to literally  to spur the protagonists onward.

The same thing  happens in Miami Vice the pilot.  We open with Tubbs sitting in a car, parked on the wrong side of the street.  That should have been a warning to those who wanted to car jack him.  (though that term didn’t exist in 1984).

He tells the punks to beat it via a shotgun.  But his real motive is to kill someone so he bribes a waiter to dump expensive champagne on someone we will later learn is Calderone (the late great Miguel Pinero). The audience doesn't know he is a cop, we only see flashbacks of his brother being killed and a drug deal gone bad.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0684102/?ref_=ttfc_fc_cl_t17

The writer introduces us to his first protagonist, opening credits, and we find ourselves with the  second protagonist, clearly an undercover cop Crockett.  Note the name Croc, he owns a crocodile and they live together on a boat.

In the first scene of the second protagonist, his partner is killed.

The writer then introduces us to the supporting cast, Gina, Trudy and the Lt.

More on this tomorrow.

If you want to see how I did it in Siolam, check it out here.

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

Was it that long ago?

Sharon Stone, Michael Douglas, Ezterhas.  BASIC INSTINCT.

 http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000390/

Back then, even now one of the most erotic and suspenseful films ever.

Why great characters.

Katherine a writer of course is either a psychotic killer or just a great writer.

As we know, everyone around her dies or goes away.  Sigh.

Same thing applies to shooter Mike Douglas.  The writer takes two psychotic characters and places them in beautiful San Francisco.  Scenic vistas, dance clubs and of course murder.

By the end of the character arch, we love the two psychos, they have disposed of their past to create a new future.

So how do you do that as a writer?

First, you need to know your characters.  What is their background?  Katherine was a genius in college, who had a few fans, psycho, psychiatric fans.  Act 2 slowly reveals this.

She hangs around murderers, her kind of people.

Shooter, well, has only one friend and uses his skills to remain on the street even after killing lots of people.  It is slowly revealed that he has a heart even if he is a killer.

In Siolam, Beth is Bart’s best friend and they move together through the character arch, story and plot.

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

When does research become an excuse not to write?

Generally when you have not plotted out your novel.

I had an idea.  I thought that idea was great.  By page, 80 things had changed.

When I first wrote a novel, before I switched to screenplays I believed in that novel.

Twenty years later, it remains uncompleted.  Will the same happen to this third novel?

Siolam was my first completed novel.  Time and money, money and time.  With a lack of sales, I somehow am motivated for this third novel.

I do not feel compelled to complete it.  Nor do I feel compelled to write a play that needs to be produced or a screenplay that needs an agent/manager for an option or sale.

Maybe I will take my research and write a nonfiction book maybe not.

----------------

Another film I really enjoyed was Capital directed by Costa Garvas and starring Gad Elmaleh.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1951166/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_7

This film shows us that Garvas is still the master. Can a  banker really have a love life, maintain his position as C.E.O and of course  have a life when money is his master?

This film is like a 9/10 caliber, dependent on characters who jet off from Paris to NYC, Tokyo etl al in this character study we  find a man conflicted with only one goal to survive. Carefully directed with images that display both the man and the system he must oppose we find ourselves entrapped within the man's search for his soul.

Sort of like Bart in Siolam.

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

Game of Thrones Season 2.

Well, my noisy neighbors kept me up last Tuesday night.  So I made it through season 2 of the half man played by Peter Dinkage.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/?ref_=nv_sr_1 .

That is what he is called and worse.  He has been a star since 2003 when he played The Station Agent.

While IMDB gives this a 9.5 and everyone finds it the rage, well, it has its moments, but Spartacus seemed to have done it better and before.

Perhaps I will change my mind when I see season one and three, but until then, it’s not as if I’m waiting with bated or dragons’ breath.

Well another round of library rentals.

I’ll make this short

Thor 2, well, the C.G.I was interesting.

Band of Brothers (see the past review)

Birdman- well I got through the D.V.D. this time.  It was better in the theater, but I hear the Gotham awards liked it.

National Treasure 2 After a decade it was better on the D.V.D.

Stand Up guys a partial review follows could not finish it another time maybe.

Which leads me to the question?  What else should I be doing when I am not writing?

Band of Brothers

Okay, what can I say about that series of ten episodes.

Stronger then Saving Private Ryan based on its ten part structure Band of brothers has garnered a 9.6 on imdb.com

Taking us from basic training to jump school, D Day, the Netherlands and concluding with the concentration camps one becomes attached to the characters.

It takes a strong writer to adapt material (I once wrote a play based on a Latina poet), but the writers of this long ago series successfully dramatized a nonfiction book and advanced it to another level.

With the upcoming Star Wars Force Awakens, I hope they can maintain at least the spirit of the Empire Strikes back.

121715 will tell us all.

If you want to experience great drama, try any of my works.

http://www.amazon.com/Darrell-J-Banks/e/B00I33S10C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

12115

The year is ending.

Did you accomplish everything you wanted this year?

Like Sinead O’Connor, I had to tie several knots this year.  First, my life was nearly destroyed on March 2, 2015

Several months later, I still struggle on

Over the Holliday weekend, I watched a lot of movies, displaced an associate last Wed and well kept on keeping on.

I finally found page four/eight edit and refocused on rewriting the 85/160 pages.  I‘ve learned not to base my fiction on current events.  As the year ends, I have decided to finish this edit and finish this book with the grace of God by January 31, 2016.

What do you plan on doing?

When I watched season 2 of Rome, I expected great things.  Just like in season one.

But the character arch had literary died off in act 3 of season one.

The acting was flat, the drama and tension not there, repetition of theme had soaked into the blood, and bone of the series it was not a wonder Rome Season 3 did not occur.

Which leaves us with a quorum?

How do you sustain yourself season after season on television?  I can name a few series that maintained their level of originality (M.A.S.H, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Carol Burnett Show, Archie Bunker, Hill Street Blues, E.R. and so on).

Most series fall down flat after a view seasons.  It used to be if a series had potential (the X-files it was allowed to develop an audience.)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Files_(season_1)

The same applies to novels.  The late suicide author John Kennedy Toole earned the Pulitzer Prize.  His novel  A Confederacy of Dunces is supposed to be a comedic masterpiece.  Yet the style is difficult for me to read.  He warms up the reader putting his protagonist in an absurd scenario, then comments on that scenario via the protagonist.

One has to wonder what would have happened if he had, wrote a sequel?

With the lack of sales, I am still proud of my book Siolam, but without sales, I doubt there will be sequel.  The public is fickle, they want what they want and I write what I choose too unless paid to do otherwise.

http://www.amazon.com/Darrell-J-Banks/e/B00I33S10C/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

Listening to I heart Radio   Tania Maria Dear Dee Vee, reminded me of my concert experience with Brasil Brasil.

Then I find a book written by the late Cuban writer Alejo Carpentier, The Kingdom of This World (1957)

Along with that the November 17, 2015 Variety that focused on Latin America .Sooooooooooooooooo. 

Why on antenna T.V. are their not too many/ any Latino programs.

http://www.latina.com/entertainment/tv

  I included one Latin supporting character in my book Siolam.  A brief passage sort of like those two TV shows that currently air on on broadcast television

As Come with Me came on I heart Radio by Tania Maria, I remembered my small amount of Brazilian Portuguese and my Spanish. Maybe when my protagonist gets to  Cuba in my new novel I will add three Latino supporting characters.

In that Variety  issue their is spread on  an  up coming Latino  film pros p 102  Gabriela Amaral, Almeida, Gema Juarez Allen and Laura Mora and Jayro Bustamante.

But the past had always featured a Latino slice of Hollywood, I won’t go past the seventies With Chico and the Man, Miami Vice, it slips a bit then we come up with  George Lopez.

Now we have the adventures of a Virgin.  Isn't the American T. V. screen big enough for the Latin sound?
http://www.npr.org/2011/10/11/141054903/from-ricky-ricardo-to-dora-latinos-on-television

I read an article that in the 1990’s Saundra Santiago and Quincy Jones were going to develop a Latino Empire show isn't it time for that show.  Santiago, La Bruja Daphne Ruben Vega, John Leguizamo etc could all be in that  slice of American entertainment.

Si o no.What do you think?

The modern world (if such things or terms exist in 2015) has high definition.  But back in 1967, TV had in color.  The texture of suede, dust on cloths and pimples were all in display.  Deep, rich film colors, 35 mm even back then looks better then HD.  The cinematographic process was spherical.

35 mm film verses HD

Cinematography.com answers the spherical question.

http://www.cinematography.com

I  hope season 2 of the Invaders gets better, so I wont have to continue dissecting the film lighting.

How many times do you have to reread your novel?

Usually one too many.  To place my book on Kindle I have to change 253 conversion errors.

Yes, errors those are not in the print version.  When you upload a book it's usually in one or two formats *.pdf or *.docx; Adobe or Microsoft extensions.

But for electronic readers, well, you have to deal with mobi.  This means using caliber or mobi pocket two of the free eBook converters.

Originally, the book was to be published on Kindle today, but there is a problem.

Time, do I continue my second edit of the new novel or find the conversion errors.

To find the errors requires that I reconvert the mobi file to word or I can convert the *.docx file to a multipage HTML file.

If you want to see what some of my print and electronic books are like.  Click here http://www.amazon.com/Darrell-J-Banks/e/B00I33S10C