Cinema Language

She was a dame in more ways than one...

The debut novel from one of my closest friends is about to come out. You must get it. Yes, I am biased but I'm not the only one. He's already getting great reviews, such as:

"I dare you to follow Chad Holley’s endearingly philosophical and downright hilarious young narrator Michael through his neighborhood of radiant characters and escapades. Shield the Joyous is a triumphant debut and joins a short shelf of indelible books on American boyhood. I haven’t read many novels that made me miss so much a place I have never been.”

—Maria Hummel, author of Goldenseal and Motherland

It says Nov but if you pre-order now you will probably get it in 2 or 3 weeks. Check it out:

Shield the Joyous — BULL CITY BOOKS A novel by Chad Holley Published November 12, 2024 by Bull City Books Trade paperback with sewn binding; 202 pages NOTE: Pre-orders expected to ship by October 15, 2024. Currently shipping to USA only. International shipping available soon.

What an amazing career. When people list the best actors of all time, he's never on the list and yet he was always terrific and also in some of the best films of all time. My personal favorites from his career: "Klute", "Ordinary People", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Don't Look Now", "Pride & Prejudice", "The Hunger Games"... he could also step into a project and devastate with a single scene or monologue: see "JFK", "Backdraft" and "The Undoing". Celebrate his life and career!

Thank you, Susan Isaacs, for the biggest laugh I have had in months and months... and, frankly, a rather life-changing meme... yes, I'm an "eight"...

And... a good thing I watched "Past Lives" at home, not in a theatre, saving myself the embarrassment of openly weeping in front of a few hundred people. What a beautiful, profoundly affecting movie. Loved it.

I've been teaching "Cinema Language: The Art Of Storytelling" all over the country for about 10 years. We're taking it online this summer, which means you can take the class anywhere in the world.

We start July 11th... you can take class live or stream the class later in the week. Click below for details. While tailored for professionals, if you're a movie buff you'll enjoy it. Use discount code SUBS for 30% until next Friday:

Cinema Language: The Art of Storytelling PREPARE TO MAKE A GREAT MOVIE!

This was extremely clever... very cool!

How A Filmmaker Got The #1 Movie In America During A Pandemic Yes, movie theaters are still closed. But one enterprising filmmaker has the No. 1 film in the US. And his story is better than any script.

Breaking down one of my favorites scripts for my graduate students last night... "Dolores Claiborne" by the great Tony Gilroy: three concurrent mysteries, an amazing flashback structure and some of the best transitions in cinema.

Usually not a huge fan of lists (I disagree and get disgruntled) but this is a good one!

Cut the va**na subplot: 12 great movies made from bad books For as long as cinema has looked to literature for inspiration, there’s been someone around to study the results and helpfully remind all of us that “the book was better.” Usually, they’re right: Moving a story from page to screen doesn’t tend to improve it, if for no other reason than the...

Terrific look at how PTA and his team developed the glorious look for "Phantom Thread":

http://www.indiewire.com/2017/12/phantom-thread-paul-thomas-anderson-cinematography-1201909965/

Wow. This excites me to no end. I LOVE Kaufman and the novel is one of the best books I've read in years. Worth checking out, it's very short, though know it is disturbing and challenging. And heartbreaking and wonderful.

Charlie Kaufman To Write And Direct Film Adaptation Of ‘I’m Thinking Of Ending Things’ For Netflix BREAKING: Oscar-winner Charlie Kaufman is attached to pen and direct Netflix’s film adaptation of Iain Reid’s debut novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things from Likely Story. The story foll…