Progress...?

So...

Tonight the first five pages of our screenplays were due.

Guess what I did all night last night.

Partially because I didn't have much time to do it other than last night.

Partially because I hate sports and wanted some Super Bowl counter-programming.


I ended up changing the opening.  Same character, similar scenario, but I think the move made it more dynamic.  I'm personally not interested in movies that start with radio interviews.  However, I do tend to enjoy films that start with stripteases.

I'm a perv.  I know.  I've been corrupted by the best of them.

Managed to squeeze out seven pages.  And realized tonight that I really need to upgrade to Final Draft when my tax return kicks in...if I have anything leftover after fixing my car and getting new glasses (praying for a 2-for-1 special).  Celtx is great and free, but I think paying to fix things like page breaks will greatly help.  Plus all the school computers use it, too.

Okay.  Off to rest.  Acting and Short Script tomorrow.

Later.
-Justin

A sporadic update...

Thanks whoever voted in the poll.

Moving sucks.  But I'm trying not to complain because I got out of a lot of it.

Pre-ordered Death Will Have Your Eyes.  And the Blu Ray of Amer is on its way.

And do yourself a favor by seeking out a film called Bajo la Sal.  Not quite a giallo in the 70's fashion, but it shares a lot with Occhi di Cristallo.  Very good film.  Worth checking out.

Okay.  Off to bed.  Good night.

Later.
-Justin

Just thought I'd let you know...

Updates are gonna be sporadic over the next couple weeks.

Just got word on Wednesday that we're moving on Monday.

Most everything's packed.  Except for my shirts.

Anyhow, our TV/internet service isn't gonna be brought to our new house until the 10th.

Yeah.  The 10th.

So the only internet access I'll have is at school.  Looking up porn is gonna be hard.  There's only so much room in the bathroom stalls.

Good side to this, however: I can use my no-TV time by either going to the gym or catching up on gialli.


Later.
-Justin

Superstar

Working on a scene for my Short Script class.

Then I have to truncate my 10-page treatment to four pages for my new instructor.  It's not due until next week, but I wanna have it done soon.

Because I'm moving in, like, a week.  FML.

I dunno why, but part of me wants to do make Orchid the way Todd Haynes did with Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story.

Google it.  Then tell me I'm fucking nuts.  But I think it would be strangely brilliant.

OK.  Back to my short script.

Later.
-Justin.

Some feedback on Orchid!

Decided to email my old Screenwriting professor regarding my treatment of Orchid with the Petals of Velvet.  I knew my grade, but never did receive any feedback on what worked/what didn't.  And since I was gonna expand this little thriller to 100 pages (give or take), I wanted to hear what he had to say.

Well, I got my response tonight.

He told me to fuck off.

Not really, but that would have been funny.

I'll start with the constructive criticism.


One thing he pointed out was that the treatment had the same main problem as the synopsis: The protagonist.  I've always envisioned the protagonist to be the female lead, Gia.  Her role is a bit more passive, however.  Because the script is a mystery, he feels the protagonist should be the detective investigating the case.  I understand the reasoning, but I would rather try to figure out how to make Gia more active.

The red herring doesn't seen sophisticated enough.  He's a bit underdeveloped, too.  I understand that.  The red herring was a bit of an afterthought when I did the synopsis.

The romantic subplot was also not fleshed out enough.  OK.

One death scene included a slight twist that I enjoyed.  But he pointed something out and I realized I need to tweak it to make it work right.

There isn't a clear moment of "crisis," the moment where the protagonist has to make an important decision that shows their true character.

The ending is a bit weak in his eyes.  Both the killer's explanation of motive and the killer's death.  I like the final moment, but I see his argument.


And the positive:

He's always liked the setting.  It's fresh and intriguing.  I always feel strange when I really sit down and think about how much I know about brothels.

The beginning grabbed his attention.

He refers to one death scene as "grisly, good."  I LOVE that!  I mean, come on.  The dude said GRISLY!  I'd only ever heard that word when I've read descriptions of those 80's slasher movies I loved so much as a kid.

There is an interesting side plot, which I won't divulge because it later fits into the finale.

He loves the identity of the killer, saying he didn't see it coming.


He told me to keep working on it, and that it has promise.

Woo-hoo!

Makes me look forward to expanding this to 100 pages.

Okay.  I gotta go to bed.  I open tomorrow.

Later.
-Justin

A Daunting Task...

Went to my first session of Screenwriting II tonight.  Seems to be a different approach from my previous class.

Ah, well.  All I know is I enjoyed it.

By the end of the semester, we will have a "clean" first draft.

And we'll be using our stories from last semester!

Do y'all know what that means?

By the end of the semester, I will have a full first draft of The Orchid With The Petals Of Velvet!

However, there is one thing that kinda frightens me.

This instructor's Screenwriting I course ended with students completing the first 50 pages.  My old instructor just left us with a ten page outline.

So a bunch of the students are coming in with a half finished script.  I have to start from page one.  However, they didn't have a treatment.  And I have one.

Now I'm worried.  I need, like, a hundred pages by April 15th.

Of all the times to cut the caffeine out of my diet.

At least with the treatment, I know where the story is going.  Maybe that'll help.

Yes, this post is all jumbly.  My brain is all jumbly.

If y'all could just leave a comment along the lines of "You got this!" or "You're gonna rock it,"  I'd really appreciate it.

Later.
-Justin

BTW

Check out my other blog: Perro Sexivo: Becoming The Funny Sexy Guy

It's about how I'm gonna finally lose this gut for good and be the sexy bitch on the outside that I am on the inside.

It shows another aspect of me...and will guarantee sexy results...or something...

perrosexivo.blogspot.com

Later.
-Justin

So...let's just get this out there...

I sent back Cannibal Holocaust yesterday.

I couldn't go through with it.

What is my penance?

Later.
-Justin

Merry Christmas!

So...how was y'all's Christmas?

Picked up some cool stuff.

Including cash.

Some of which I've already used to pickup some gialli from www.zddvisualmedia.com

Private Crimes TV miniseries
A Dragonfly For Each Corpse
Spirits Of Death
Killer Reserved Nine Seats
Love Me Strangely

Boy am I happy.

Merry Christmas.

Later.
-Justin

Santa Claus' Torture Session

Funny how working in retail takes all the fun out of Christmas.  Carolers become crazed madmen and sugar plums become projectile display boxes.  Finals pile up and the window of opportunity to go to the gym closes.

In other words, whenever I sing "It's the most wonderful time of year," I'm not happy.  I'm really being sarcastic and bitchy.

Also, whenever I'm on the clock and mention I'm looking for the "goodness gracious" remote/TV/accessory/whatever, "goodness gracious" is my code word for "mother fucking."  Just thought I'd throw an FYI.

One more week 'till Christmas.  Lemme just say it:  Buy your gifts now.  If you wait until Friday, then give me shit about how Christmas is ruined because something isn't in stock, I will pull out your intestines and use them to decorate my tree.

So...onto other things...

My original plan for Thursday/Friday kinda fell down the tubes.  I spent Thursday watching my niece.  So no gym.  And since she's four, it's probably not a good idea to show her any Video Nasty trailers (even I have my limits).  Then yesterday, I was just spent.  So I watched about an hour of the trailers.  With intros.  That dude who talked about Absurd really needs to know when to STFU.  He went on for, like, seven minutes talking about it.  I don't even think I spent seven minutes blogging about it.  Just shut your yap.

I got a 95 on my treatment for The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet.  Very happy.  He hasn't sent feedback, though.  I thought it would.  Maybe he's just waiting.  I dunno.

OK.  Off to relax a bit before jumping back into the warfare known as the Sunday before Christmas.

Later.

-Justin

P.S.-Just got my grades back.  A- in Acting, A- in Voice, A- in Screenwriting, and an A in Intro to Digital Filmmaking.  Woo-hoo!  3.775!

Quick mention...

The outline for Orchid got a 95!

Still waiting to hear about the treatment.  Part of me wants to say I know I'm all right, but I don't wanna get my hopes up.

Wish me luck.

Later.

-Justin

The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet-a faux trailer

Here it is-my Filmmaking final.  We had to edit footage to a song.  I decided to make a faux-trailer for The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet.

I used footage from Case of the Bloody Iris and All the Colors of the Dark.  The music is the main theme of Iris.

Enjoy.

Getting back on track...

Yes, I've digressed over my past few posts.  Je regrette.  Lo siento.

It's just once one final finishes, another one pops up.

So I'm gonna try to make it up to y'all.

Next week, finals are FINALLY gonna be over.  And then I have some plans that'll please fans of both my blogs (the other one is perrosexivo.blogspot.com).

Next Thursday will be my first full day off after finals.  And I am going to celebrate another semester without going postal by having a gym session to end all gym sessions.  No machine left behind.  Full force, total body workout.

Then that Friday, I'm gonna be in bed, cursing myself for being so stupid for having done as much as I did.  And watching Video Nasties: The Definitive Guide.  All of it.  All 72 trailers for every single Nasty to make the list.  It's supposed to be 7 1/2 hours of nothing but Nasty.

And maybe I'll finally get around to Cannibal Holocaust.  Yes, I do still have the Netflix disc of it.

Okay.  Gotta take the trash out, pee, and go to bed.  Meeting my partner for one of my acting finals tomorrow before work.

Later.
-Justin

Finals--ugh

Right when I thought I was finished with my assignments for my Intro to Digital Filmmaking class, my instructor gave us our final: Get footage from movies/videos of whatever type, re-edit it, and set it to music.  So I decided to make a trailer for The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet.

I used footage from All the Colors of the Dark and The Case of the Bloody Iris.  The music is the main theme from Iris.

I think it turned out all right, but it's not loading.  Whatever.  I'll find out when I turn it in.

Later.
-Justin

FINISHED!

My treatment for The Orchid with the Petals of Velvet is finished!  Done!  Completed!  Some other word that means finished...um...Executed!

Savage yet stylish, Sexy yet sensual.  I love how the story turned out for the most part.

Now I can't wait to turn this baby in.

Wish me luck.

Later.
-Justin

Due tomorrow...

And I'm only on page 6.

Of 10.

I can do it.  This is gonna rock.

Listening to Siouxsie and the Banshees as I write.

Later.
-Justin

Treatment

Starting on my treatment.  It's due next Tuesday.  Wish me smarts, brilliance, and sanity.

So I had class tonight...

Last class, we turned in our synopses and the professor started reading them aloud.  He'd then give us constructive criticism and invite everyone in the class to do so.

Mine was next in line for evaluation...then we ran out of time.

Darn it!

I was looking forward to hearing feedback.

The professor said if our synopsis hadn't been read, we could revise it and turn it in again.  I debated about it, but I was afraid of over-thinking everything.

Yes, believe it or not, the guy who begged on this blog to help come up with an alternate title was afraid of over-thinking everything.

I decided to leave things as is.

My synopsis was read first.  So, here's what I took from it:

Nobody said anything about the title.  I shit bricks for nothing.  The Orchid With the Petals of Velvet it is.

Going by the synopsis, the film is missing a protagonist.  Yes, the film lingers mostly on one person, but their actions are too passive.  I need to figure out how to give this person a more active role in the plot.

I need to change the name of the female lead.  I call her Gia, but the professor kept pronouncing it with the G in "gust" instead of the G in "genius."  Relatively easy fix.

The professor said my setting was fresh.  He really liked the potential of setting the story in and around a brothel.  The possibility of colorful characters excited him.

There aren't enough red herrings.  Agreed.  There's one main red herring in the synopsis, but to add others would have made the synopsis too long (we were only allowed 2 pages).  I can easily rectify this in the treatment.

The revelation of the killer comes off as a cheap surprise.  I knew this one ahead of time.  Not having 100 pages to plant subtle clues makes it look cheap.  I could have made the red herring the killer and it still would have looked cheap.  I know how to make it a genuine surprise.

The opening threw him off.  The beginning revolves around one character who dies fifteen minutes in.  I tried to use Dressed To Kill as an example, where you think Angie Dickinson is gonna be the lead...only to be killed early on.  He didn't recall that film.  Had to use Janet Leigh in Psycho.

Now that I have some outsider perspectives, I can use them for the treatment, which is due in three weeks.  Ten to twelve pages.  Wish me genius and sanity.

Later.

-Justin

Some Essential Gialli

Hey, y'all.  I dunno why but I'm anticipating somebody might be interested in gialli after reading my screenplay synopsis in class.  So I'm reposting my intro/description to gialli from my first post and writing a list of some to check out.


What is a giallo, you ask?  Well, let me tell you.

Back in the day, crime/detective novels were incredibly popular in Italy. Mainly they were penny dreadful cheapies involving murder, sex, femmes fatales, and intrigue. Not too far from noir, but with a style that was clearly its own thing. These novels were published with bright yellow covers. The word for 'yellow' in Italian is 'giallo.' So eventually this genre was known as the giallo.

The Girl Who Knew Too Much, directed by Mario Bava, is regarded as one of the first cinematic rendition of a giallo. It was released in 1963 and owes more to Hitchcock than later gialli.


Later Bava directed the first giallo shot in color: Blood and Black Lace. This film is one of the classics of the genre, and a prime example of how to make a horror film in color (to paraphrase Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas). It's beautiful, haute-couture, candy-colored mayhem.


Gialli didn't really have much of an impact until Dario Argento's directorial debut-The Bird With The Crystal Plumage. The film was such a huge hit that one theater played it in Italy for three years straight. It was even the #1 film in America for a while (Take that, Love Story!).


The Bird With The Crystal Plumage set the standard for gialli: Highly convoluted plots, unconventional camera angles, long drawn out murder set pieces, and beautiful scores (mainly by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai). Many of these films dripped with style and '70's flair.


Gialli were also known for the bevy of beauties who graced them: Erika Blanc, Barbara Bouchet, Nieves Navarro, and especially Edwige Fenech, the queen of the giallo (Google them).

Gialli have had their ups and downs, with sharp rises in the 80's. Luckily DVD has enabled the world to fall in love with them all over again. 
  


Available on Netflix:

Films by Dario Argento:

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage
Cat O'Nine Tails
Four Flies on Gray Velvet
Door Into Darkness
Deep Red
Tenebre
Phenomena (NOT the John Travolta movie)
Opera
Trauma
The Stendhal Syndrome
Sleepless
The Card Player
Do You Like Hitchcock?
Giallo

By Lucio Fulci:

Dont Torture A Duckling
The Psychic
Perversion Story
The New York Ripper
Lizard in a Woman's Skin

Other notable gialli on Netflix:

The Case of the Bloody Iris
All the Colors of the Dark
Blood and Black Lace
Hatchet for the Honeymoon (also available via streaming on Netflix)
Twitch of the Death Nerve (AKA Bay of Blood)
The Black Belly of the Tarantula
The Night Evelyn Came Out Of The Grave
The Red Queen Kills Seven Times
Torso
What Have You Done To Solange?
Who Saw Her Die?
The Bloodstained Shadow
Seven Bloodstained Orchids
A Blade in the Dark
Macabre


If you have a region-free player, check out:
Plot of Fear
Eyes of Crystal
Iguana with the Tongue of Fire
The Vanity Serum
The Perfume of the Lady in Black
Sleepless (The one on Netflix is Full Screen.  Artisan sucked).

Also, if you have a player that does PAL-NTSC, go to www.ZddVisualMedia.com and scope out their selection.  Some of their gems include:
Nothing Underneath
Death Occurred Last Night
Eye in the Labyrinth
Libido
Rorret
The Weapon, The Hour, and The Motive
The Police Grope Around In The Dark
Death Laid An Egg
Eyes Behind The Wall

Just a word of warning.  If you're anything like me, gialli are like Pringles.  Once you pop, you can't stop.

And if you're new to Italian Lemonade, welcome!

Later.
-Justin

Assignment DONE!

Ah...gee I feel better.

Sure, it's not a staggering work of cinematic genius.  Yet.  But it's my first synopsis/character bio.

Here's a super-truncated version for y'all, minus the ending.  See if you can spot my references

The Orchid With The Petals Of Velvet

Famous porn star Ruby Rain is in New York City promoting her upcoming gig at the Melody Ranch in Nevada.  After a radio interview, she is murdered on a subway platform.

Back in Nevada, Detectives Eric Wade and Pauline Campbell are assigned to investigate the Melody Ranch and see if there were anybody who may have known anything about Ruby's death.  There the detectives meet Gia, a popular girl at the Melody.

Other girls at the Ranch start dying brutally at the hands of a murderer, and Gia is becoming the center of the case.  Will she survive the ordeal?


That's all for now.

Okay.  I'll let y'all go while I get ready for work.

Later.
-Justin