Strange Skies

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  • Strange Skies

    Paul hates his life. He hates his wife. Hates their friends. But most of all he hates that she wants to have kids. Paul hates kids more than anything. Talk about someone with a cynical outlook on life. Paul's also just found out he has cancer. And that he's going to die. So Paul decides to start living his life. He f*cks other women. Leaves work when he wants to. Says what he's thinking instead of holding it in. Flies off to faraway places on a whim.

    Oh, except for one minor detail. Paul does not have cancer. After being told that the tests on his biopsy were negative and that he's fine, Paul realizes that the sympathy and leniency he'll gain from people *thinking* he has cancer will allow him to live a life without responsibility. It starts out as a little lie, and of course grows and grows and grows.

    This guy is really a despicable character. But if you want to use the argument in your script that your main character doesn't have to be likable, this is probably the script you wanna use as evidence. Because despite all of this, you're still fascinated by the choices Paul makes. You wonder, "is he going to come clean? Or is he going to continue to lead this lie?"

    The script takes some unexpected twists and for the most part they work well. It's a dark movie, something I think a younger Billy Bob Thorton would be good for. Or the kind of dark role Jim Carrey dreams of playing (but isn't very good at). I think it would play well on the independent circuit. Liked this one quite a bit.
    Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

  • #2
    Re: Strange Skies

    In my head, Paul would be the John Lovitz character in Seinfeld who did the same thing.

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    • #3
      Re: Strange Skies

      Would probably feel the same way had I read a 300 word review. But in the script, you do want to go on the journey with him. Kind of like if you simplified American Beauty down to "Lester wants to f*ck his daughter's best friend".
      Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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      • #4
        Re: Strange Skies

        Well again, you kinda need to read the thing to make an accurate judgment on the material. Without giving too much away, the movie takes some interesting turns.
        Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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        • #5
          Re: Strange Skies

          Originally posted by wilsoneads View Post
          Would probably feel the same way had I read a 300 word review. But in the script, you do want to go on the journey with him. Kind of like if you simplified American Beauty down to "Lester wants to f*ck his daughter's best friend".
          You know, ever since I came onto this board I've noticed that this unfortunate "analysis" of scripts is rather prevalent here. Anitapooh, you're getting called out: your "opinion" here is meaningless because you have no basis for it. You've only read one of the two scripts you're talking about, so how can you POSSIBLY make a comparison? Sadly, I'm finding "opinions" like this are part of a larger whole.

          If you don't want to read a script because you don't find palatable the concept or subject material, don't read it. It's pretty simple. Don't pick it up, don't open it, don't start turning the letters into words and phrases. But don't make the mistake of thinking you can turn your apathy into wisdom. And I'm not saying this on behalf of all the other posters here; we can just as easily ignore you as you can these scripts. More, I'm offering a piece of advice from one writer to others: if you're ignoring material based solely on conceptual bigotry, you're hurting yourself.

          I hate romantic comedies. I think they're mostly banal, painful, unoriginal exercises in futility. I also find myself terminally bored by most period pieces. So what do I spend most of my time reading? Romantic comedies and period pieces. Why? Because I'm waiting for a good writer to challenge me, to suck me into something I usually couldn't care less about. Same with ideas about which I just can't get excited . When all the discussion about BUTTER infiltrated the boards, I thought, "Glerf, that sounds brutal. I'm not interested in that in the slightest." I immediately added BUTTER to my To Be Read pile.

          The point is this: if you decide you don't like something or can't be drawn into something before you've even read it, you're probably going to bias yourself right into not liking it. Good for you. But if you approach every script you read as a part of your ongoing education and an opportunity to pick up some new ideas and new tools for writing, you're going to grow as a writer. It's not rocket science. Most of the time, the script isn't going to to do it for you. The reason for that is also simple: 99% of scripts written are crap no matter their concepts or themes.

          But there's nothing better than picking up a script you thought you'd hate and finding a new gem. More than that, though, you can extract from these kinds of scripts tools that you can use in your own writing. How did this writer keep me interested? How did he/she involve me in something I care nothing about? How did the writer bring me to understand characters and themes that are unlikable/flawed/extremely unconventional? Once you start to answer these questions, you're going to find ways to improve your own writing by putting those techniques into practice. Therein, you'll learn to ensnare readers who would just as soon give another script like yours a pass.

          You can't get there without actually READING, though. If you're content to judge writing that you haven't read and assume that you already know something you don't, that's your prerogative. But you're not just cheating a fellow writer out of a fair shake - you're potentially cheating yourself out of a great learning experience.

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          • #6
            Re: Strange Skies

            You know Goose, I think it's really interesting that you hate romantic comedies and yet that's the genre you sold. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The idea of writing in a genre you dislike. Because when you write in a genre you DO like, you tend to pretty much follow the rules. Why? Because you like the genre as it is! You don't want to mess with something you like! Yet when you jump into a genre you hate, you're willing to tear down and change everything to suit it to your tastes. This, of course, allows you to totally redefine the genre and come up with something really unique. I'm honestly thinking about doing this. I just haven't picked the genre yet. There are quite a few that I hate though.
            Script Reviews - 5 a week! http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/

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            • #7
              Re: Strange Skies

              I will hold to what I've been saying for months now: my script is NOT a romantic comedy - it's a comedy with a romance as its subject

              But you make a good point, and I have to say that two of my very, very favorite movies - WHEN HARRY MET SALLY and LOVE, ACTUALLY - are romantic comedies. I suppose I'm tickled when someone decides to buck convention, not be a cookie-cutter mess and find something original to say (or an original way to say it) within such a maligned, empty genre.

              I think your theory might make an interesting exercise, but when you're starting out you still want to stick with writing what you know, where you're comfortable. I know the two projects I sold after DISTANCE stay well within the bounds of comedy, and then the project after that...well, let's just say I'll be venturing away from home on that one. I think the trick with the latter is going to be to try to port my instincts, my sensibilities into its genre while still respecting what that genre is about. So maybe there's something to be said for stepping out of your comfort zone at some point...but doing it the right way. I guess I'll find out sooner rather than later if I'm capable

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