In 1999, American movies were filled with millennial angst. Characters saw imaginary alter-egos ("Fight Club"), wanted to be someone else ("American Beauty"), literally became someone else ("Being John Malkovich"), regretted not being someone else ("Magnolia"), and went somewhere else beyond explanation ("The Matrix"). Screens were filled with characters who witnessed the supernatural: "The Green Mile," "The Blair Witch Project," and the year's biggest phenomenon "The Sixth Sense." By the time Martin Scorsese released his own entry about a New York ambulance driver who sees dead people, audiences stayed away. To this day, very few people have seen the movie, and it remains a footnote in Mr. Scorsese's career.
"Bringing Out The Dead" deserves better. It's easy to call it a minor Scorsese picture, as it lacks the scope of his gangster flicks, or the innovation of his biographical dramas. But it remains a thrilling, engrossing film about the trippy tightrope between life and death. It is a surreal peek into the underbelly of 1990s New York, full of junkies, saviors, ghosts, and Nicolas Cage.
"Bringing Out The Dead" marked the first and only collaboration between Mr. Cage and Mr. Scorsese. And given the intense, physical performance here, it's too bad because it appears they're made for each other. He has nervous energy, introspective at times, explosive at others. It's a dynamite performance that actors should watch and re-watch. Mr. Cage bridged the gap in the Scorsese canon between De Niro and DiCaprio and it's fun to speculate how he might have fared in future collaborations.
Based on the novel by Joe Connelly, "Bringing Out The Dead" was Mr. Scorsese's reunion with screenwriter Paul Schrader, who previously collaborated on both "Taxi Driver" and "Raging Bull." Expectations were high, therefore, as audiences expected Travis Bickle in an ambulance. It's far from it. Nicolas Cage plays a frenzied savior who sees the ghosts of his failures on every corner. It's a phantasmagoric ride, taking place entirely at night over the course of a single weekend.
This is prime Scorsese real estate. To know the man and his movies, you must know this picture. Every corner of every frame is filled with urban beauty, alternating from Sinatra to the Stones. The characters represent the dual nature of the Director himself: loners with a conscience, or sinners with a heart. Men fall for fallen women. And redemption is available for a cost. Everything is purposefully rough and grimy. Even the technical aspects from the editing to the cinematography. The neon city was photographed by Robert Richardson, whose gorgeous film work puts any digital efforts to shame. The ambulances pop, as the ghosts radiate throughout the shadows. It's a supernatural city, where Mr. Cage's eyes have seen too much.
"The city doesn't discriminate. It gets everybody."
Check out Roger Ebert's original review, or just buy it now.
When I mention Alan Rudolph to anyone under the age of 35, I get a blank stare. Apparently, if a director's movies are not streaming on Netflix they never existed. Such is the case with a true auteur who wrote and directed 19 movies between 1976 and 2002. A disciple and collaborator of Robert Altman, Alan Rudolph has a diverse, compelling body of work that deserves both rediscovery and examination.
An LA independent filmmaker through and through, Rudolph's jazzy, atmospheric films continue to entertain and educate. They represent authentic American Independent Cinema, about outsiders living on the margins. His films compliment Robert Altman's work, with his recurring repertory of actors, fighting for their American Dreams in the New West. Mr. Rudolph's films are often about artists and writers and musicians - as real people. He might even be the west coast version of Woody Allen. His work is eclectic and unpredictable. Yet taken together they comprise an unmistakably distinct oeuvre. Sure, he made some terrible movies along the way, including his career-killing adaptation of Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, but his high points more than compensate. One blog tribute can't do his work justice. See for yourself what an American master looks like. I suggest hunting down as many movies as you can find. Start with old VHS tapes, dig through your local library's basement, and keep your eye on eBay. Here are my top 5: 5. Trouble in Mind (1985)
Equal parts Alphaville and Blade Runner, this idiosyncratic neo-noir is typical Alan Rudolph. Set in a futuristic Seattle with hints of martial-law, Trouble in Mind features the underappreciated Kris Kristofferson as an ex-cop, and Keith Carradine as the Altman-Rudolph-esque loner. Filled with unconventional casting, surrogate families, and a surreal party scene to put The Great Gatsby to shame. Available on DVD in a great 25th Anniversary edition from Shout! Factory.
4. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994)
When Mrs. Parker was released in November of 1994, it was overshadowed by Quiz Show, Bullets Over Broadway, and Ed Wood - all show business period pieces released within the same 2 months. Mrs. Parker, the least splashy of the four, holds up with the best of them. Collaborating with Producer Robert Altman, Mr. Rudolph returns to the witty, boozy banter of troubled artists in the 1920s (see #2). The difference, however, is this one focuses on one character - the writer Dorothy Parker played by the pitch-perfect Jennifer Jason Leigh. Not a conventional biopic, Mrs. Parker is a fluid snapshot of how this particular band of misfits fought, played and imploded. 3. Choose Me (1984)
Another similarity with Robert Altman and Woody Allen is Mr. Rudolph's skill with female actors. This is true for all the movies on this list, but most evident here with the excellent Genevieve Bujold and Lesley Ann Warren. Choose Me was an independent hit, that manages to be both quirky and quintessentially '80s. Another moody, jazzy tale of con-artists and loners, Choose Me brings the viewer back to a lost era of phone-therapy and radio call-in shows before the internet era. At times, Bergmanesque, and other times absurd and surreal, Choose Me continues Mr. Rudolph's exploration of love, friendship, and alienation. Featuring a great period score with songs by Teddy Pendergrass. 2. The Moderns (1988)
Before
Woody Allen went there in Midnight in Paris, Alan Rudolph
dramatized Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, and the rest of 1920s Paris in The
Moderns. Once again Keith Carradine plays a broken-hearted artist,
surrounded by fellow misfits and liars. Like Woody Allen, Mr. Rudolph
draws parallels between present day creative circles and the highly romanticized
days of the Lost Generation. Only his Paris consists of forgeries, condom moguls, and
boxing matches refereed by Hemingway. Viewers may know Kevin J. O'Connor
from There Will Be Blood when he played Daniel Day-Lewis's
brother. Here, Mr. O'Connor practically steals the movie as Ernest
Hemingway because he makes Papa a fully realized, three-dimensional character,
not a brooding caricature like we often see. With yet another standout cast including John Lone and Linda Fiorentino, and brilliant quotable dialogue, The Moderns is a writer-director working at the top of his game. 1. Afterglow (1997)
"The hardest part of all is finding out too late that none of it lasts." Spoken by Julie Christie's character - a burned out, B-Actress chaneling Norma Desmond. But it could be referring to Mr. Rudolph, as this movie was his last popular and critical hurrah. A talented cast led by Ms. Christie's Oscar Nominated performance, and possibly Nick Nolte's greatest work ever, Afterglow is an original, mature love story set in Montreal. It calls to mind Leonard Cohen as it puts four lost romantics under the modern microscope. Sure, it's mostly the exceptional Ms. Christie's show, but Mr. Rudolph wrote the character. And his direction helped create the energized chemistry with Mr. Nolte. A modest hit at the time, it's disappearance today is a travesty. Produced by Robert Altman.
Last month I attended my first Hollywood Pitch Festival - a conference of writers selling their ideas to movie producers. I pitched my latest action movie to 20 different executives, who all offered immediate feedback and left me with a confident outlook. Since the project has yet to sell, however, I'm thinking about what lessons I learned for the next time. And also advice to writers planning to attend their first pitch festival. 1. PRACTICE.
This
was one of my strong points, but I can't emphasize it enough to anyone planning to pitch. It was because I had been honing my pitch for
weeks that I was cool, comfortable and consistent in front of 20
unknown and judgmental Hollywood execs. What amazed me, though, is that
when I spoke with other writers they confessed to simply writing their pitch that morning. Or not writing one at all and attempting to wing it! 2. A NUMBERS GAME.
At this particular Saturday-Sunday fest, writers sign up for 14 specific appointments, then are free to wait in the standby line for any available openings. I recommend waiting in the standby for EVERY opening. The more people you meet the better, and quite honestly 14 is a very small amount. Improve the odds by pitching to everyone possible. Don't worry about saving your strength for your top appointments - embrace every opportunity. From the time the doors open on Saturday morning until they close on Sunday, don't stop pitching. If you haven't lost your voice on Monday morning you didn't try hard enough. 3. PICK THE FAVORITES FIRST.
When it comes to signing up for your initial meetings, reserve the most popular companies that are looking for what you're selling. Save the smaller, more niche companies for the standby line because chances are they will have openings. No sense wasting a valuable reservation on a company that won't be full. 4. BRING CARDS.
Come
prepared with something to hand out. Not everyone will request your info,
but when asked you should have something to give.I know most writers do not have
business cards (nor should they), but for this instance it helps to
leave a memento. Your name, number, email, and possibly your logline. It wouldn't hurt to have your picture on it either, since the typical executive meets at least 20 writers that day. It should be small, no larger than a postcard. 5. PRINT SCRIPTS.
Most
executives won't immediately ask for the script. If they do, they will
want it emailed. But for those who like it the old fashioned
way, it helps to bring a few printed. It goes without saying that they should be properly formatted and bound the industry standard way.
Whenever I start writing a new screenplay, I look back on several films that inspire me. Simple stories, all produced on modest budgets, yet powerful and timeless results. These aren't the greatest movies of all time (or my favorite by each director), but starting points for creative inspiration. These are the films that all young filmmakers should know. All of which could be produced with today's technology for next to nothing. But more importantly, each are excellent examples of how to move an audience with a well-told tale.
10. "Broadway Danny Rose" Woody Allen, 1984
Mid-career Woody Allen captures the essence of New York in the 1980s. With gorgeous black-and-white cinematography by Gordon Willis, and one of Allen's best acting performances, this serves as a great combination of comedic writing with visual panache. A classic time-capsule of a lost era that shows the benefits of shooting in real locations, and embracing the styles of the day. I'm especially fond of Mia Farrow's Buick Riviera. 9. "Singles" Cameron Crowe, 1992
Before "Jerry Maguire," Cameron Crowe made a perfectly-timed lovesong about dating in the '90s. An authentic Pacific-Northwest picture, this shows the strength of a writer who knows his setting. This story can be told anyplace, anytime - a familiar theme on this list - but all the creative elements in "Singles" equate to a singular work impossible to duplicate. 8. "Knife in the Water" Roman Polanski, 1962
Sure, it's never easy to film on water, but sometimes such restrictions can be creative gold. 3 characters, 94 minutes, no special effects, and a young man from Poland gets nominated for an Oscar. Tap into the dark side and learn how terrifying horror without gore can be. 7. "The Kid with a Bike" Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2011
Taking its influence from #4 below, this French gem updates the story to the 21st Century broken-family. Yet it feels like a tale taken from the Bible. This shows the benefits of recognizing a timeless and universal story, then making it specific and unique. Something all great artists on this list have accomplished. A sense of dread hangs over every scene in "The Kid with a Bike," but stick with it, learn from it, then imitate it. 6. "The Shooting" Monte Hellman, 1966
This "existential" western with Jack Nicholson was made for $75,000 and was filmed entirely in Utah's natural light. It's often frustrating, equally mesmerizing, but proof that the western is a viable cinematic genre that will never disappear. "The Shooting" works as an independent film because the western can successfully convey both big and obscure ideas. Possibly more than every other genre. 5. "Animal Kingdom" David Michod, 2010
Set in present-day Melbourne, this is a story that could be told in Cleveland, Milwaukee, or St. Louis. And each version would have it's own unique flair. A perfect example of local cinema, and possibly the template for a future movement. Sure it helps to have such great actors, but it would be a compelling movie even with an entirely unknown cast. The key, of course, is to write this brilliant to attract the talent. 4. "Bicycle Thieves" Vittorio De Sica, 1948
One of the simplest stories ever put on film. Yet why did it take 6 credited writers to get it right? I don't actually know why, but I'm sure it reflects how difficult it really is to tell a perfect story. This touching, worldly masterpiece could be shot today for pennies. Yet I don't see more people trying to replicate its honesty and clarity. I'm sure there's a "Bicycle Thieves" waiting to happen in every city in every state. Even I should be writing one. 3. "Badlands" Terrence Malick, 1973
Most young and independent filmmakers set their stories in the present day. Here, Malick shows the low-budget possibilities of a trip back 18 years. The reason it works so well is that the story could be set in any year, past or future. But, if you're gonna go back in time, this is the way to do it. If you've never seen a Malick movie, or you're turned off by his recent poetic extravagance, go back and watch this one. Then watch it again.
2. "Killer's Kiss" Stanley Kubrick, 1955
Everyone wants to be Stanley Kubrick, but it won't happen by watching "A Clockwork Orange." To understand his style and technique, start at the beginning, before he had big budgets and validation. I would suggest starting even before the beginning, by looking at his photography career. Study his compositions and use of lighting and you'll see more than a visual impact. You'll actually see a story. Kubrick knew that photographs can produce drama, and continued to explore it through his moving pictures. "Killer's Kiss" is his first major feature, which he also shot and edited. It's a prime example how an inexperienced and underfunded filmmaker can be original and timeless. The perfect way to launch a career.
1. "Mean Streets" Martin Scorsese, 1973
To understand the genius of "Goodfellas" go back 17 years to Scorsese's earliest feature on the same themes. I contend that "Goodfellas" is one of the best directed movies of all time because Scorsese always knows where to place the camera - as if instructed to by God. The real reason is because he's returning to characters and subjects he had explored throughout his entire life. This expertise makes Scoresese's technique seem otherworldly. This goes for the screenwriting as well. And all of this started in "Mean Streets." This early work has the authenticity of someone writing what they know, and subsequently shooting it with expert precision. Not everyone can make a movie about Italian crooks in New York in the mid-Twentieth Century, but everyone can tap into their own personal background to create consistently brilliant and unique films.
