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Here you find feature articles by our IIE staff and contributing writers. If you have an article or submission -Contact Us.

You can access the IIE ARCHIVE for past articles.

11/13/05

Part 1: Absolute All-Time Favorite Moviesby Damian Lanfranchi

As a movie guy, I can't tell you how many times I've been asked,‘What's your favorite movie?'

With such a revealing question, such an monumental question, I usual stumble with ‘um's' and ‘ah's' and then blurt out the names of a couple decent movies I saw recently in theaters.

Well not anymore. A little while back, I decided that since I'm in the movie business, I need a precise and well thought answer to that all important question. In fact, I ommitted myself to composing a list of my Top 5 Absolute All-Time Favorite Movies.

I'm going to share my Top 5 Absolute All-Time Favorite Movies,
(I bet at least one of them will shock you!). Not only that, I will also fill you in on what makes them my favorites and a crucial lesson you must learn about “Favorite Movies” that will change the way you approach your screenwriting.


My Top 5 Absolute All-Time Favorite Movies!

So how did I come up with this crazy list? It was no easy task. I started by creating a giant list of my favorite films.  Then I had to narrow it down to the Top 5, in order!  It's a daunting task. As a screenwriter and movie lover, my only hope was to establish some sort of criterion to guide the process. 

Thinking about the thousan.ds of movies I've seen in my life, here are the three qualities I felt set the best movies part from just good ones.


A. LASTING IMPACT

In my mind, the success of a film, or any work of art for that matter, is in its ability to leave an impact or dare I say, even create a change in the person who experienced it. Nowadays there's a boatload of special-effects, popcorn rides that may be fun for the moment, but are instantly forgettable the moment you leave the theater. 

To find its way onto my Top 5 list, a movie has to leave a lasting impact. That doesn't mean it necessarily changed my life, but rather the emotional and thematic effect of the movie can be felt long after the movie is over. In fact, the sign of a great movie is that you can experience the emotion of it again just by remembering it!


B.  REPEAT VALUE

Can you watch this movie over and over again? I mean, today it's not uncommon to watch a movie 2-3 times – thanks to cable's repetitive scheduling. But can you watch a movie 10,11 or 12 times? Not only that, but do you enjoy it more with each viewing? 

How about when it's on TV?  No matter what part of the story it's at, will you immediately get sucked right back in and watch it till the very end? This is the tell-tale sign of a superior movie.


C.  SCREENWRITING MASTERY

As writers, one of the aspects of movies we appreciate more than the average movie-goer is the quality, depth and mastery of the screenplay. For me, this last criterion was critical in deciding what my Top 5 favorite movies were. I mean, being a screenwriter, how could I possibly love and respect a movie if I wasn't completely and totally blown away by the script?

So that's the groundwork – the 3 criterion I used to assemble my absolute all-time list of favorite movies. Now, without further delay, drum roll please…

Damian's Top 5 Absolute All-Time Favorite Movies


5.  Monty Python and The Holy Grail

Surprise, surprise – this outlandish comedy made
the list. 

The first time I ever saw it was at hockey summer camp
when I was 13 years old. I had NO CLUE why the older kids found it so darn funny! Flash forward to my sophomore year at Rutgers College, I'm a bit more mature and a philosophy minor, and now, WOW! Monty Python and The Holy Grail is not only painfully hysterical, but it's brilliant.  The depth and sophistication of the humor, that's right Monty Python's sophisticated, and the wittingly satirical social and historical commentary are unparalleled. 

It's probably one of the only movies that can make me
laugh just by remembering it!


4.  JFK

No hold on.  Let me set the record straight. I'm not a conspiracy hound.  Nor am I a crazed historical revisionist. In fact, I find a lot of history and politics extremely boring! So let me explain why JFK comes in a strong 4th. Forget whether or not the facts and conspiracy theories are all true, which I have the sneaking suspicion many are not. 

It doesn't matter. The story is absolutely riveting.  Even at 3+ hours long, it has the uncanny ability to suck me right back in any time I find it channel surfing – often resulting in a few hours of lost sleep. 

Of all the movies on this list, JFK probably contains the most phenomenal display of screenwriting.  I've become pretty confident in my screenwriting ability, but never, not in a hundred years, could I imagine crafting such a seamless and intricate work of art. 

If you haven't seen it, check it out.


3.  Braveheart

There have been a slew of battle-rich movies with two masses of leather-clad men storming across an open field to hack each other to bits... 

But in my eyes none holds a candle to Braveheart. Sure, I enjoyed Gladiator, Troy and many of the other bloody battle epics.  What makes Braveheart so exceptional is the depth and richness of the entire cast of characters. In most other epic movies, aside from the hero, the rest of the characters are nothing special to remember. They're purely functional. 

The beauty of Braveheart is that every character from Longshanks, Princess Isabelle and Robert the Bruce to the burly red-haired warrior father and son, are all so real and their relationships so compelling that they could sustain a movie all on their own! 

Dig this flic!


2.  Rocky

With the slew of silly bubblegum sequels, it's easy to forget that the original Rocky was in fact a masterpiece. In 1977 it won Best Picture and Best Director and received 10 Academy nominations, including one for Best Screenplay! 

As a child, I always loved Rocky because the story of the ultimate underdog spoke to me.  Even now, who doesn't get pumped up when they hear that classic theme song? Years later, after learning the craft of screenwriting, I rediscovered Rocky in an amazing new way. 

The subtlety and emotion of the story is incredible. A lot of people mock the ‘Yo, Adrian' lines, but really sit down and read the script.  The dialogue is likely a finely crafted sculpture. Adrian and Rocky hurry out of the house after a drunken Paulie has thrown her turkey in the trash. 

Adrian, shyly retorts, “Don't you want some turkey.  It's Thanksgiving.” Rocky, replies, “To you.  To me, it's Thursday.” Six words that sum up that entire character's life. I love it!

And now for my #1 Absolute All-Time Favorite Movie…

Oops, we're actually out of space. 

I promise to be back next issue with my #1 Movie, two crucial lessons you need to learn from this article and a final thought that will change the way you think about your new screenplays.

Here's to you and your screenwriting success!

Damian Damian Lanfranchi
___________________________

WHO'S TAKING OUR JOBS?
by Jacob Sanders

“I have an idea!”, says the man with too much money. “Let's find a herd of ugly women. We'll tell them that they are hideous and there may be no hope for them, unless they come on our show.”, he adds. “Why would we want to put ugly women on our program? The viewers won't want to see them! Come on, we're better than that!”, claims a short, snobby former hippy now turned republican. “Because,” responds the money-man with confidence, “we can molest them on national television by poking and prodding at their bodies and faces and eventually make them beautiful! Then it will not only get us millions, but it will also make it look like we did good deeds for people.” “And nobody will ever no the difference!”, shouts the republican. A huge, unanimous uproar of cheering erupts from the oval table, which is surrounded by ghouls without remorse.

This could be your average brain-storming session for high network executives. It would probably happen in the early spring, so that they could unleash this abomination onto the helpless prime-time viewers in the new fall line-up. For the past 5 or 6 years these “reality shows” have entertained millions, but they have also infected the film and television industry. It is a sad sight. And what is really scary is that these shows are growing in numbers and becoming more and more ridiculous. They degrade any innocent person who can be manipulated enough to fall for their retched schemes.

We watch weekly as the contestants are constantly lied to about the situation that they signed up for. Whether it be prizes or some guy they think is rich beyond belief. We bask in a poor woman's sorrow as she is passed by and not given a rose. This is a slap in the face, if you ask me. We watch her sob, and if you slow the footage down, I'm sure you could actually see all her dreams crash together like two trains hitting head-on.

Even worse is when we are robbed of what may have been a very nice crime-drama or comedy series. We flip on our TV only to see two evil rich girls embarrassing themselves and their families. Not to mention some small, down-home American town that some rich guy thought that it would be idealistic to place the blonde haired devils in. They storm into town. Like Billy The Kid and Calamity Jane, they spread their childish antics like a plague to the townspeople. Then they leave behind a once peaceful part of America, which is now scarred for life. Hurricane Hilton... Come in, mess everything up and then leave!

What type of scoundrels could do this to people? Or to us, for that matter? I'm not bashing the creativity that these people have. Although it may not be exactly moral, it is creative. But these types of shows are taking away the value of film. And they are taking our jobs, as well! It is not just the actors or writers, who I have heard speak out on this very issue, but it is also taking away all those creative minds that make film so great. The special effects artists, the prop and set designers, storyboard artists, acting coaches and so on. The list continues.

If we are not careful, this fad could engage a mass genocide on our market. Let's not let this happen! Thankfully, there are many of us out there that feel this way. So, in my opinion, we can and will win this war.

Jacob Thomas Sanders
Indianapolis , IN
Screenwriter/Journalist Born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, Jacob started writing short stories, screenplays and small advertisements while in high school. He then took up music along the way and made himself an established keyboardist in the local area. After a 7 year battle in the music world, he decided to pursue what he knew what he was put here to do. And it worked. Currently, he has two short films in production. A New Dawn, (religious/supernatural) that runs approx. 28 mins. Which is being filmed in a small town outside of London. The other, Nobody Should Die Alone: Reflections of Memories Past, (drama/suspense) is being shot in his hometown. It will rum approx. 30 mins. For now, Jacob ventures toward the battleground of journalism.