TV Tropes

The above picture had me dying laughing today. TV Tropes is basically a wikipedia site for film and media. It contains loads of information on specific shows, genres, character types, movie cliches etc. For instance, if I was curious as to why so many movie villains confess all their evil doings to their captives, I could go to the TV Tropes page "Just Between You and Me" and see's its applications in various movies, films, and comic books.

I've been on TV Tropes repeatedly this past week for several reasons. First, I'm researching movie cliches and antidotes that would be useful in a Community Spec script I'm writing. Secondly, we are working on A's film thesis script and trying to revise some of the story premise. Believe it or not, TV tropes has a very subtle way of introducing aspects of John Campbell's Hero's Journey without making you feel like your in a class lecture. There is a section on "The Call" and how different versions of the call have been used in movies, which is great because I find it easier to understand the application of the Hero's Journey when applied to films I have seen. It's a fun website, but I can tell you it's such a jam-packed labryinth of good material, you might find yourself looking like the poor sucker above before you're finished.

Pushing the Limits....

Early this year...or was it late last year...doesn't matter but I finally saw The Limits of Control by Jim Jarmusch. And I've been thinking Jarmusch's existential exercise ever since.. As it describes on The Jim Jarmusch Resource Page, "The Limits of Control is the story of a mysterious loner, a stranger, whose activities remain meticulously outside the law. He is in the process of completing a job, yet he trusts no one, and his objectives are not initially divulged. His journey, paradoxically both intently focused and dreamlike, takes him not only across Spain but also through his own consciousness."...and further Jarmusch talks about key influences for the film:
"What would it be like if Jacques Rivette remade John Boorman's masterpiece "Point Blank"? Or what if Marguerite Duras remade Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samourai"? Michelangelo Antonioni looms large in my subconscious so he's probably there, but I wasn't thinking about him beforehand. I was obliquely thinking of Euro crime films from the 1970s and 1980s, like some of Francesco Rosi's work. These impressionistic inspirations floated through my head, in terms of finding a style rather than imitating these movies." We talk about a lot of films here on our blog, but few have left a left impression quite like the Limits of Control. Everything from the brilliant soundtrack to the beautifully bleak landscapes used in the film add to the surrealist atmosphere of the film. If you are a student of film and enjoy interpreting its language, look no further.

For more, read his interview on IFC.

Making of Noah Baumbach's Greenberg

Noah Baumbach's latest film about a well-off socially dysfunctional prepster stars Ben Stiller in the lead role. Although the film's been getting some middling reviews, what I've seen so far looks pretty clever, and we're planning to watch it this weekend. If it's anywhere as biting as Margot at the Wedding, then I'm sure there'll be plenty of hilarious, self-absorbed tantrums to keep us entertained. Making Of's website has a great video showing some behind the scenes action on the film. Check it out.

Listen....

Hey Y'all,

One half of the El Roberto team we'll be on ArtePolitik's radio show tonight, discussing popular political films, music, and much more. You can listen tonight here at 7pm PST. Have a great friday!

Heading into 2010...guerilla style

Last week we were relaxing at home, casually watching a lo-fi suspense movie named Cavite on the Sundance Channel. At one point the main character eats at a taco shop, which we noticed looked strikingly similar to a taco shop down the street from us. Soon the character was visiting other locations that looked straight out of our neighborhood. Sure enough, we checked the movie online and it was filmed in San Diego. The film is about a security guard who becomes the unwilling puppet of a terrorist group that has kidnapped his family. Apparently, we missed the train on this one, as it was a big deal back in 2005 when it came out. It won the "Someone to Watch" award at the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards.

The film was obviously shot on the run, guerilla style with a low-end camera, minimal crew and no location permits. It was very encouraging for us to see that you can make a film on barebones and still receive recognition from the industry for its quality in story, and has further strengthened our resolve to finish a short film for festival submission this year.