Is this a Beach Boys’ song?
No, this is “In My Queue,” the semi-regular feature of blakesnyder.com to let all you cats and kittens know what’s on my Recent Viewing list on Netflix.
Having used Netflix as THE fastest source during the recent writing of my book — Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies (now you can see the cover on Amazon — yes, that’s how close we’re gettin’), the Flix habit remains. (I need my Flix!)
Since the project ended, I have blazed through a bunch of movies, from the wonderful (Casino Royale, The Good Shepherd) to the tolerable, though oddly cast (Hollywoodland), to the “shot underwater by aliens high on some kind of drug I probably never used and now can’t…” (Black Dahlia). (Art, Art, Art, what the hell just happened indeed!)
Now in my Queue are the following:
The Bourne Identity (again) because since The Good Shepherd I am on a spy movie/Matt Damon jag, and I want to compare and contrast.
Pirates of the Carribean 2 (another repeat) due mostly to the fact I am prepping to watch 3 and want to link 1 and 3 in my mind a little better.
National Treasure. Same reason.
Donnie Brasco. Trying to get in the mood for a writing assignment, the rewrite of the heist movie Mike Cheda and I wrote, called Ringers.
Smokin’ Aces. Because it came and went so fast in the theaters I never saw it.
Yes, here’s the thing. I love family movies. I write mostly family movies. But my secret love is action/heist/adventure stories.
Go figure.
Also wanted to note what a GREAT time I had in San Francisco this weekend. It was the first time we brought the Cat! to the Bay area, and what a terrific group of writers! We are getting so busy doing Board and Master Class weekends, we may not be able to get back up there again for another six weeks, but it was a wonderful and productive beginning. Big thanks to the The Film Arts Foundation for providing a truly creative space, and to all the participants for their generous welcome!
We will be back. I not only left my heart in San Francisco, but my iPod; so if you find it let me know.
10 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Hi Blake! I just finished “Save the Cat!” I look forward to the sequel. I have just discovered you blog and am loving it! I thought Casino Royal was a lot of fun too! Though I must favor Children of Men as one of my favorites from 2006. Also, I am intrigued by your “Donnie Darko” Heist comment. That seems like a very delicious mixture! Can’t wait to read more!
Calvin
October? We gotta wait until October to get the new book? Ugh…
Blake, are you still coming to Toronto?
Tim, thanks for the post! I will be coming to Toronto Friday May 11 for one day to give a talk to the folks at Nelvana! Very excited about this. I’d love to arrange a Thursday night talk for my Cat! friends in town. If you have any ideas let me know. Can’t wait to see Toronto!
Eric makes a good argument. New Orleans could use some STC!
Blake, I’ll see if I can organize something here for Thursday night. Maybe even a casual drink with yourself, a few local scribblers and some STC discussion about recent movies.
I’ll keep ya posted.
Tim
Yo dude, rent from Blockbuster Online. If you have a membership in their store, all you gotta do is take your online rental to the store and exchange it… for ANOTHER DVD to take home and watch! Brilliant! It’s like getting two rentals for one price. I love it!
As for your queue, I gotta say this:
The Bourne Identity – Never saw it nor am I really that nutso over these types of movies. It’d help if I have people to watch them with. /
Pirates of the Carribean 2 – Own the DVD and I can’t wait for III. The latest featurette online for it is just crazy mad! It’s funny (Giselle and her friend have it out with Jack as he stumbles for answers to their questions as well as having Gibbs looking on.
National Treasure – Good movie… surprised me a lot! Very entertaining. I merchandise DVDs for BVHE and I can’t wait for both POTC3 and NT2 to come to DVD.
Donnie Darko – Okay, this isn’t the one with the life-sized rabbit that torments Jake Gyllenhall is it? I must be thinking of Donnie Brasco.
Smokin’ Aces – Definitely wanna see this!!! The wife would hate it. She didn’t even enjoy th Bad Boys movies! :/
As for my queue, I’m not sure. I know at one time I had Richard Elfman’s Forbidden Zone in there (it’s probably # 72 now) and I had the Darkman sequels in there but that’s been a while. :)
Brasco! That’s what I meant! But you knew that!
Was glued to your book all the way home on the train last Sunday (three hours from London to home), and have already had one of those “kerching!” lightbulb going on momenst about my last script – thanks!
Do you ever come to the UK?
Sal, so great to hear you like Save the Cat! The “light goes on” experience is still happening for me! And I love it. I will be coming out to Barcelona next month as a matter of fact and a lot of my UK pals will be there. Check out the details on link below (or on the home page under “Barcelona”) and join us. Should be exceptional. Thanks and btw nice blog (http://salbrown.blogspot.com/)!! Really like it! — Blake
http://www.actors-space.org/screenwriting.htm
Just watched Casino Royale last week. I thought it was a great ride. The opening chase across the construction beams was really great. My only complaint was the multiple “false endings.”
For my money, it could’ve been about 10 minutes shorter and I would’ve left happy and fired up. Instead, the end dragged on and on and I found myself checking my watch.
Aren’t you supposed to leave ’em wanting more? It left me wanting less.
Any Toronto area writers who’d like to meet up with Blake on Thursday May 10, gimme a holler at [email protected]
Tim