It looks like nobody wanted to take on what’s sure to be the money-making behemoth, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland this weekend. Therefore, I only have one more movie to tell you about this weekend. These sparsely populated weekends are a rarity, but when they happen, it’s usually around this time of the year.
Your lone contender for the weekend is the Antoine Fuqua Police Drama, Brooklyn’s Finest. The film features a cast of heavy hitters with Ethan Hawke, Richard Gere, and Don Cheadle, and Wesley Snipes. The name that may have caught your eye more than any other is Wesley Snipes. Snipes doesn’t make as many appearances in films as he once did, so maybe that will be an extra draw for you. The film follows three police officers doing stressful jobs that more often than not offer zero rewards. Along the way, they will each be tempted by the crime that they once vowed to work against. This is a taut and suspenseful drama that won’t pull any punches when it comes to violence and portrayals of the hidden drug trades found in everyday life.
Because I would feel like I was ripping you off if I only reported one release this weekend, I want to mention something else. Last Saturday I attended a 25th Anniversary screening of Back to the Future at the Hollywood Palms Theater near Chicago. I’ve already rambled about it at length on my blog, so I’ll spare you all the gritty details. But I will take a moment to make a brief recommendation.
When weekends like this roll around and there’s nothing new to see, consider tracking down a theater that shows older films. Almost every mid-sized city has a theater that specializes in older films or at least occasionally makes a special event out of showing one. If you live near a big city, you should be able to find one no problem. Great cities for film are San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, and of course, New York and LA. But almost every state capitol has something to offer at the very least.
Do yourself a favor and track down screenings of older movies. I know it’s easy to go out and rent, or just give in and go see a newer movie again. But if you are an aspiring screenwriter, director, actor, anything, seeing older movies on the big screen is just as exciting and educational as seeing contemporary releases. These screenings can teach you the difference between modern tricks or preferences and genuinely solid writing and shooting. It’s good to compare and contrast, and this sounds like the speech an old person would give, but if you’re a young aspiring filmmaker, you’ll want to learn the difference between trends and techniques.
Shaky cam, lens flares, fast cutting…all those are contemporary trends. But trends come and go. I’m not saying those techniques are bad; I’m a formalist all the way. But if you’re training yourself to write a script and all you’re watching is modern film, then all your scripts are going to age quickly and read like imitations. But if you make sure to see an assortment of genres and time periods on the big screen, where they’re most effective and most memorable, you’ll be able to offer a more unique product that will stand out from all the current homage scripts. It’s hard enough to sell a screenplay, and studios can smell an imitation within the first page.
Again, not that imitation is bad. It’s a great learning tool. Challenge yourself to sit down and write a script in the style of Hitchcock, Capra, or Spielberg and see where it gets you. It’s fun! But always keep in mind, the goal of becoming a working writer, director, or actor is to work your way toward offering something completely unique. If not completely unique, at least something really high quality.
So don’t count this weekend as a loss if you aren’t interested in either of your choices. Find a festival, find a retro showing, get to a theater where you can expand your horizons and do some research outside of your own time period.
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The Oscars
The Oscars probably also contribute to a sparse release weekend ... the industry doesn't want to detract too much from their own Kudo-Cast!
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