I Have Made A Huge Mistake

I am beginning to find where I fit in terms of story telling. I am a dark human being that finds laughs in some naughty, dirty, bloody places. Yet, I still try to bend my enthusiasm for the Horror/Dark Comedy genre into others to fulfill some type of make believe portfolio I feel I'll need to exhibit to some suited up jerkoff from a Production company you never heard of. I try to outline my Western, it turns apocalyptic, and a free for all blood bath. I try a Rom/Com, but it turns out the reason they get together is to go on a Bonnie and Clyde type rampage, leaving hundreds of bodies in their wake, before exchanging bloody kisses and offing themselves in front of police. I write a coming of age story about a serial killer. I write a short story about a man whose penis is too large, and he is shunned from society(Gargantuman!). He resorts to hookers, since he believes they won't be frightened away..but they are..and he becomes...well, you know the rest.

So there's my problem. I am trying different things, not content with writing horror, but I end up there anyway. Perhaps I need to just accept what I am...a Horror/Black Comedy writer. I don't like to be pigeonholed, especially by my own hand, yet I have to wonder if this isn't how many horror greats start? I mean, does John Carpenter know he is that type of writer? Stephen King? Wes Craven? Dario Argento? They all have done other types of films, especially earlier in their career, yet they seem to flourish when they stay in horror. I wonder if you are what you are is an apt saying?

The bottom line is, should I try and change, or is being so into one genre a bad thing? Maybe I just belong in the dark dankness and not the lightness of happy pappy films? It's a tough process ripping out your soul and finding it's exactly what you knew it was, and nothing more.

And Don't Let The Door Hit Ya In The Ass

It appears I can't move soon enough as hurricane Wilma looks like a direct hit. I lucked out all this year after being bombarded last year, and now this has to happen a mere two months before I move. Fan-friggin-tastic!

Adapting A Novel

I just finished reading American Psycho(Bret Easton Ellis), and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's definitely not for the faint of heart. The reader is basically put into the head of a madman, and gets bombarded with the constant musings of Patrick Bateman, in all their obsessive and gore soaked glory.

Anyway, I always have loved American Psycho, the movie. I consider it a dark comedy, and to that effect, it succeeds. Most who don't like it seem to think of it as either a) Psychological thriller or b) a Horror film. But I believe taken as a dark comedy, it delivers constant laughs. Of course, if you're not into dark comedy, this will have little effect on whether you like it or not-you'll hate it.

So having said all that, it was with great eagerness that I dove into the novel 4 days ago. In the early going, it was a tough read. It was very difficult to get the perspective down because there are thoughts, dialogue, sentences from characters that go on with no reply, run on sentences...ect. However, once you get accustomed to it, by chapter 2 or 3, it makes for a more comfortable ride. And what a ride. This is a brutally violent book. I mean just plain nasty, and Ellis spares no details, no matter how small(In fact, that goes for the entire book). Each incision is noted graphically, and I have to warn that the book is one hundred times as brutal as the movie. Maybe one thousand times. And it's also pretty damn funny. Which brings me (finally) to the adaptation job of Mary Harron and GuinevereTurner. The sheer amount of information they had to sift through is just mountainous. What they did is combine multiple characters into one, put some of Batemans narratives/monologues over some of the main action, killing two birds with one stone. There is a steady stream of narrative from Bateman, and it's too much for a film, but they picked and pieced together their own narrative from Batemans seemingly most important thoughts. Since they couldn't show the dozens of murders, they had him rather ingeniously go into detail for each killing mentioned in the book in his confession to his lawyer. In the book, his confession is much shorter, but in the movie, he goes on and on about a mans body rotting in a "bath tub of acid in Hell's Kitchen", and many other's. Of course, in the book, we read that he actually did all of those things while he's doing them, but in a film, trying to condense 400 pages into 100 pages, some things just won't fit. So he slyly mentions each one(most) from the book while he's on the phone. I thought that was a nice touch.

And the amazing job Harron and Guinevere did extracting the relevant information to tell the same story, but in a hyper condensed form is simply stunning. I can't even fathom how I would have done it. Where would I start? Go one chapter at a time and outline the info I want to use? It seems to me I would still come up with far too much.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is, American Psycho is a great study for those who are thinking on adapting a novel into screenplay format. It's a fine example, or a how-to, to say the least.

Now They've Done It

Halloween is being remade! What's next? Indiana Jones? Jaws? The Godfather? Is nothing sacred?

They Dumbed Down My Show, Damn Them

If anyone watches Arrested Development, you're familiar with it's brilliant sharp tongued quips and character interaction that is often unleashed at a frenzied pace. You're also aware that the ratings sucked the first two seasons, despite several Emmy Nominations, and a few wins.

I bought the season 1 DVD set, and it's one of the funniest seasons of any show, ever. I know season 2 is just as funny, if not moreso, if that's even possible. Well, imagine my shock when the first 3 episodes of the third season were noticeably lacking in the laughs category. Don't get me wrong, I laughed enough. But the non-stop stream of intelligent dialogue is gone. It's more deliberately paced, with a lot less of it. Which brings me to the other change-the narration from Ron Howard. It's as though there are longer lapses between narrations this season, and they are more about what's happening on screen then ever before, and in fact did something that really annoyed me. Jason Bateman(Michael Bluth) was saying something about "american males being in a perpetual state of Arrested Development"(get it?), and Ron Howard quips "Hey, that's the name of the show!". What?! What have they done to my show?!

Then I realized the dilemma of AD.

In order to stay on TV, AD has to get better ratings. But it's too smart a show to drag in the masses who'd rather watch King Of Queens, or any other laugh track induced yuck fest full of punch lines. AD never told outright jokes for laughs. It had much in common with Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm in this regard. It relied on wit and situations. And some massive innuendo. It appears they have dumbed it down with the hopes it can gain viewers. Unfortunately, it won't gain them, it'll lose them. I understand the rationale, strictly on a survival plain, but isn't it better to go out on top after three seasons than to have a mediocre third season, and flame out?

Here's hoping the season picks up steam, and gets that bite back.

Thanks To Mr. August

For this wonderful quiz: Political quiz

I ended up being a 'Centrist' and the Pope...???? Which means I pretty much agree with both sides on some things, and disagree with them on others....that's the way I like it. And I'm a pope...yay!

I have to disagree with John August and his assessment that anyone who voted strongly agree with "People shouldn'’t be allowed to have children they can'’t provide for.". is saying they want more government proposed regulations... I meant it as common sense....they shouldn't be allowed to have children that they can't provide for...