Inside the Brain of E.C. Henry

A Woman's Choice; Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies: Volume 72

Ahhh... Allegra Cole visited me in my dreams last night.  And we swam together in a swimming pool, no less!

Okay, BEFORE we get into my dream, and how a "hottie" like her got in my dream I'll bring you up to speed as to who Allegra Cole is...

Allegra Cole was the love interest of Albert Brennaman (Kevin Jame's character) from the 2005 movie, HITCH; which stared Will Smith and had Eve Mendez as his journalist love interest, Sara.   I ranked HITCH, 24th in terms of my favorite rom-com movies of all-time.  From this post, here was my quick summary justifying my feelings about the Hitch (2005: written by Kevin Bisch, directed by Andy Tennant):

"I wasn't real sold on the main love storyline between Hitch and Sara (Will Smith/Eva Mendez) but the Albert and Allegra (Kevin Smith/Amber Valletta) B romantic storyline made me smile a lot." 

So in MY opinion HITCH had "something" with the Albert/Allegra romance, but was lacking something with its central romance between Hitch and Sara.  I'll go a little more into why Hitch (Will Smith)/Sara (Eva Mendes) didn't work.  You talk about contrived!  A romance fixer falls for a skeptical journalist feels unreal and totally contrived.  Now IF you have strong enough set pieces a romantic comedy CAN overcome that sand in your shorts, but alas; imo Will Smith and Eva Mendez DIDN'T pull that off.  I didn't like either of their characters and the scenes they were in weren't funny enough to overcome their character and they way they played them.  

Here's Hitch's logline (which I cut and pasted off IMBD):

A smooth-talking man falls for a hardened columnist while helping a shy accountant woo a beautiful heiress.

Here's a trailer put out to promote an audience going to see this romantic comedy:

I would classify HITCH as an Ego-com.  Remember that gem from August of 2011?  I thought not, hence the link reminder.  HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (2003) being the gold standard as to how to overcome a two contrived leads through great set pieces.  Anywho, now that you're acclimated as to who Allegra Cole is let's delve into how she got be in one of E.C. Henry's dreams...

My dream last night was an unexpected delight.  I was in a swimming pool with Amber Valletta.  There was a Hollywood party going on around us, and Amber's boyfriend was watching us from his table.  As we treaded water together Amber said that she was a screenwriter too, we connected and talked about that.  She smiled at me, and then I kissed her...  She then looked at me funny, and did not reciprocate further lovey-dovie stuff.  Then the dream ended.

Will Albert and Allegra kiss or not?!  (Gotta rent the movie to find out)

Not much of a dream, but in all honesty I don't dream about romantic escapades with women very much.  Can't ever remember dreaming of Jennifer Love Hewitt (my first female "muse" as a writer 2001-2009), nor Taylor Swift (muse status 2014 - 20018), nor Kaya Jones (muse status 2020).  Just so you know I use my female "muse" as my inspiration, the ideal female for romantic exploits in rom-com applications.  Only girl I ever had "pinned up" on my wall was --

Paulina Porizkova

I bring my "muses" up, because the "dream" of swimming with Allegra Cole really came out of the blue.  You'd think I'd be dreaming about some other girl from my past, but I didn't I dreamed of treading water, trying to connect with someone in the pool with me, then getting romantically rejected.  

But when I woke up, that's when it dawned on my the significance of "a woman's choice".  Ultimately it's the woman's choice who her "man" will be.  Paulina chose Ric Ocasek of the pop band the Cars fame, Jennifer Love Hewitt is married with a least one kid now, Taylor Swift's current beau is Joe Alwyn: an English actor who has yet to hit it big, and Kaya Jones has a love interest that she's committed to, I THINK the guy's name is Derek. 

So where does that leave ol' E.C.?  Well, for starters I'm not in the same league as Paulina, JLH, T.S., or Kaya.  These were all people who had a fan base and were popular public figures at one point.  Me, I'm just an undiscovered "little guy".  So, YES, I do know my place in the grand scheme of things...

But this dream got to to think about how cool it is when a woman does commit to a guy.  I wrote about this a LONG TIME ago in the script, "CUPID'S HELPERS", a rom-com from yours truly 2005/2006, my 6th spec. script written (as remember from a couple posts ago I said I also wrote a Planet of the Apes spec. script which I'm not allowed to share for copyright reasons).  Anyway the logine for CUPID'S HELPERS is this:

An award winning romantic comedy writer experiences romantic foibles of his own after a business associate, who has a secret crush on the writer, joins him on a trip back to his hometown for his high school reunion.  There, at the reunion, the writer reunites with his own secret crush, who was the inspiration for the writing that made him famous.

A while back, when I updated my rom-com sub-genre post to include the spec. scripts that I had written I classified CUPID'S HELPERS as a Destiny rom-com.  I slotted CUPID'S HELPERS this way because it's central question revolves around a writer coming to grips with a crush he had in his past and LETTING HER GO, and in fact in the story actually helping her save her marriage.  Destiny over ego in this one.  Yes, various aspects of working careers were played with in CUPID'S HELPERS but in the end its about people coming to peace with their own hearts and the romances that they're engaged with.  That's the fun thing about writing romantic comedies is that you can delve into issues like that.  

The older I get, I'm 51 now will be 52 on June 10th, the LESS I think about romance and stuff like that.  I think that's true of most other people too.  Gotta find your mate when you're young.  Get older and don't have that person and the pickings get fewer and your drive lessens.  Maybe that's why so many people divorce when they get older... Their sex drive lessens, and they evolve into something else that they weren't when they first get married.  BOOM!  Welcome this blog, remember it is called INSIDE THE BRAIN OF E.C. HENRY.  And here that's what you get my musing for better or worse.  

Wish I could have seen more of Amber Valletta -- acting & as a model when she was younger.  Wow, what a hottie!  But eventually Father Time catches up with us all. 

Still, the movies we see DO have an impact on our psyche and our lives.  My dream last night proves as much.  HITCH (2005) wasn't a great movie, YET one of its characters and storylines made it into my dreams!  How cool is that?!!  Amber, you're welcome come visit me in the pool anytime!  And if you want to reciprocate the kiss I gave you (in my dream) even better!!  Until, then I will, as I've always done, RESPECT a woman's choice.  Maybe someday somoene will choose me!  I think that's why cavemen had those clubs, too many of their romantic foibles need a more physical approach.  (Just kidding, that was a joke) 

Romantic Comedies are for people like me.  People in the pool who have yet to have their romantic overtures reciprocated, and so we tread on...  

P.S. I'm probably going to start work on SO GO BACK & GET HIM starting tomorrow.  It's my sequel to SO GO BACK & GET HER -- only with a different protagonist.  So be expecting a FRESH POST from yours truly in the next couple days on that...  I may be rejected by the world of women, but I haven't rejected them.

Taylor Swift Top Songs of All-Time

 

At the time of the writing of this post I am 35 pages into the writing of the 1st draft of Kathy Smith Conquers Duboose High School.  This will be my 25th spec. script--when I write FADE OUT: THE END.

O-kay, so what does this have to do with Taylor Swift?  

Well, she is BACK to be my mews again...

I mean, you can't tell me there isn't a MOVIE with this picture.

I mean is there ANYONE better to be a MALE WRITER'S MUSE when that aforementioned writer is writing a teen comedy centered around the story of a 14-year-old, feisty freshman.  So far 35 pages in I'm not in automatic mode writing like I got after about page 68 of SO GO BACK & GET HER, but there is still hope for its prequel: KATHY SMITH CONQUERS DUBOOSE HIGH SCHOOL, because I've got some solid set pieces for this story.  A couple that I've written in the first 35, hopefully for many more in the remaining pages.

Okay, so the writing life is going well now.  35, 1st draft pages in less than 3 days IS a good start.  And don't worry: Kaya Jones (muse for the past year); I still LOVE you, and hope to connect with you some day on other scripts...  But Taylor Swift is special.  Very special.  And it's not that I'm that enamored with what music she's been cranking out lately, but her work taken collectively as a whole, is PHENOMENAL.   Won't lie I'm a MUCH BIGGER fan of T.S. when she's displaying her lighter side, as evident by --   

E.C. Henry's favorite songs by music superstar Taylor Swift:

[Last Update November 24, 2022 after listening to snippets of T.S. new album Midnights and buying five songs off i-tunes]

1.  State of Grace (Taylor's Version)
2.  Love Story (Taylor's Version) [Elvira Remix]
3. The Other Side of the Door (Taylor's Version)
4.  How You Get the Girl
5.  22 
6.  Getaway Car
7.  Style
8.  Shake It Off 
9.  You Belong with Me
10.  New Romantics
11.  Jump then Fall (Taylor's Version)
12.  ... Question?
13.  ... Ready For It
14.  Delicate
15.  Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor's Version) 
16.  We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
17. That's When (Taylor's Version)
18.  Message in a Bottle (Taylor's Version)
19.  Look What You Made Me Do
20.  Cruel Summer
21.  Mastermind
22.  Red (Taylor's Version)
23.  Anti-Hero
24.  Me!
25. Bigger than the Whole Sky
26.  Wildest Dreams

Notice any trends in E.C.'s top 13? It's domiated by Taylor's more happier songs, not her darker or newest stuff.   I remember watching Taylor Swift on a Late Show with Jimmy Fallon interview years ago, where Jimmy Fallon was lightly poking fun a Taylor Swift for her song: We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together; and based on her reaction, Taylor looked a bothered by it all--so Jimmy didn't persist.  That got me to wonder, was that song really that bad?  Heard it for the first time about a week ago and was pleasantly surprised by how good it was:

I had to search i-tunes for that song.  Even when I saw T.S. in concert in 2018?  Well, it was the concert where she had pillars with scary snakes on them, which I thought was in very bad taste given the fact that her target audience is girls aged 9-20.  

Can't really say Taylor Swift doesn't get the credit she deserves because EVERY YEAR she's a favorite with Grammy people, but what I can say is that her earlier stuff was MUCH BETTER that I thought it would be.  I'm not a country music listener.  Some country songs are o-kay, but as a whole the genre isn't for me.  Taylor Swift started off in country music.  So IF you like her today, go back and check-out these two of her earlier albums before she broke into superstardom with 1989: Fearless and Red; have some hits on them too!   Don't miss this gem:

My spec. script soundtrack for Kathy Smith Conquers Duboose High School currently has 17 songs in it--and 4 of them are by Taylor Swift!

Muse indeed.  Rock on, T.S.--and PLEASE go back to your fun-loving days, because that's when you are your best; and that's when your true fans are most pleased with you.   

Okay, enough of the Taylor Swift lovefest time to eat a little late dinner, then go back for another round of writing on Kathy Smith Conquers Duboose High School.  Next post coming at ya AFTER I finish the 1st draft of my latest spec. which I hope to have done BEFORE the end of the month.  See ya then!

The Sheer Joy of Your Presence; Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies: Volume 71

Infatuation, as pertains to romance, is one of the coolest things on the planet!  What it means is that you're really digging another person; you have a CRUSH on them.  So in today's post we're going to delve a little deeper into infatuations and crushes as relates to romantic comedy movies and what we experience in real life.  Why?  Because what you love matters, and why you feel the way you do matters.  A good romantic comedy captures life's special moments, amplifies them and gives voice to the unspoken desires of the heart.

INFATUATION is a Rod Stewart song, as he explores in this video:

BUT that's not were I'm coming from.  That's more of BAD side of the ledger.  What I'm referring to is the unspoken desires of the heart.  One of the biggest laments of my life: high school.  Had "crushes" on several girls--and never acted on any of them!  Was always on the wrong side of the ledger.  Hung out with dopes--if I had any friends at all; and that cost me a lot of cache when it comes to forays with members of the opposite sex.  Spent years putting on a false front.  Pretending to be the neutral towards girls I was attracted to, because I figured they'd just reject me any way: Swedish may have been my heritage, but when it came to girls was quite Swiss in his diplomacy. 

Hiding your feelings for other people is NOT the best policy.  It's got me 51 and single; and I just can't help but wonder if I had taken more chances when I was younger how much better my life could have turned out.

But that's the GREAT thing about the movies; we get to be inspired by by people that are more daring than us.  Active protagonists who do take chances; chances that we, ourselves, are too much of a chicken-shit to take.  Why the trepidation?  Fear of rejection and scorn.  Somewhere along the line, I let that take root and rule me.  Too bad.  I WISH I was more like the heroes of the romantic comedy movies.

Here's some examples of infatuaters/people with romantic crushes as seen in romantic comedy and romantic leaning movies:

• Matt Flemhaff (Mark Ruffalo's character) from 13 GOING ON 30.  Loved Jenna as a youth.  Still held a secret torch for her while yet in his 30s...
• Dorthy Boyd (Renee Zellwegger's character) from JERRY MACQUIRE (1996).  A loyal assistant to Tom Cruise's lead character who holds a flame for guy who has long way to go emotionally before he is ready to pursue her romantically.
• William Thacker (Hugh Grant's character) in KNOTTING HILL (1999).  The whole plot revolves around a regular guy pursuing a famous star Jullia Roberts' Anna Scott character.
• Shari (Jenna Elfman's character) in EDTV (1999) which stared Matthew McConaughey as her love interest.
• Anne Reed (Meg Ryan's character) in SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE (1993).  Anne gets cold feet in her engagement to someone else and becomes increasingly infatuated with a widower, Tom Hank's character; of a little boy. 

I don't think this emotion gets explored NEARLY enough in the movies.   The sheer joy of being in someone else's presence.  I don't know who "does it for you", but that kind of star-struck love and emotion is a good thing.  Love is something the heart needs to do.  Sure their are healthy and unhealthy ways of expressing that need, but without love your life is severely limited and devoid of pleasure--so find something to love!!

For me that's a blank space.  Who to love?  Welcome to being 51 years old and single.  #fucked  At this age most COUPLES have already raised families of their own, and are now eyeing and planning romantic getaways to exotic locations with an eye on retirement.  But not me, it's like I'm still waiting for my life to begin.  Like I'm 18, just graduated school; and WAITING for that special girl to build a life with. 

Wow, did I ever fuck-up in life!

Thankfully, for helpless saps like me there's the movies.  I may have been too much of a chicken-shit to live my life and pursue what I could have pursued, but thankfully in the movies: Matt Flemhaff, Annie Reed, Shari, and Dorthy Boyd; lived the life that I never did.  Was there, but not really there; because I never took the chance to what could have happened. 

Here's an example of a CRUSH done right in the movies:

CAREER OPPORTUNITES (1991: written by John Hughes, staring: Frank Whaley and Jennifer Connolly)

Having a crush on someone is a good thing -- don't let anyone tell you differently, just send them to ME and I'll set them straight!  Just to see someone else with love-struck eyes.  To have a hero, or princess who can do no wrong.  It's one of the best parts about being human is the ability to have these feelings.  So don't suppress them .  A long time ago I talked about the romantic pursuer.  Be that brave soul.  Don't live a life of regret.  The older you get, the less people you have opportunity to connect with romantically so get after it and take a chance at falling in love.

I can still remember a time when I was about to graduate from high school and I FINALLY got the chance to hold hands with a girl I liked for a long time.  I remember smiling at her, and she looked at me and smirked with disappointment.  I can laugh at this now, not only because time heals all wounds; but because of how ridiculous and funny this was.  I was experiencing the SHEER JOY of being in this girl's presence; BUT she was lamenting the fact that the world she knew was ending: our senior class was graduating and soon we would all be going our separate ways.  But that's a great point to realize.  Differences in perspective of a "moment" means.  A couple months later I ran into this same girl again at a community college.  We both smiled at each other, and went our way.  Have NO IDEA what happened to this "hottie" after this.  Last I ever saw of her.  In retrospect I highly doubt we ever would have connected emotionally, but as a guy I wouldn't have minded connecting with physically at least once.  Such a perv., I know, but that's how God wired men; they have a sex drive...

But sex isn't all it's about.  There is something cool about the sheer joy of being in someone's presence that you admire or are attracted to.  There is a good, warm feeling you feel when you're FINALLY with that person that you've been crushing over.  And that's a feeling worth revisiting, that's a feeling worth pursuing now and with whatever life God gives you from this point going forward. 

 

P.S. Currently working on TWO new spec. scripts AND editing the epic fantasy novel.  Hoping to have all three projects wrapped up by the end of 2020.  That would make for THREE completed specs in a year!  Not bad for a hobby and a guy who has no choice but to work a 9 to 5 job. 

P.S.S. Just went through all my "EXPLORING ISSUES IN ROM-COM MOVIES" and tagged them in TypePad as "Rom-Com Series".  My count is off.  After tagging I was at like 76...  May shore this up, may let it go; I'm undecided on that.         

In the Ring; Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies: Volume 70

It suddenly hit me as I was editing a 5th draft of SO GO BACK & GET HER -- that I'm an active contributor to the rom-com genre!  Yeah, ol' E.C. is "in the ring", but sometimes it's a rough as what ol' Rocky faced back in his days "in the ring".

Earlier yesterday morning I was updating my total writing scorecard.  23 spec. scripts, 22 of which are available for immediate sale, btw.  The other is a PLANET OF THE APES derivative, and put on hold, because I didn't get permission by the copyright holder to made a derivative product off their copyright protected product.

Still of all the screenplays I've written, 23, it is amazing how many of them are rom-com material.  More to come on that later...  

Years ago I did a post about sub-genre classifications under the broad, romantic comedy genre umbrella.  While editing the 5th draft of SO BACK & GET HER I started thinking about where it fell in my own definition.  JUST reading the logline I surrendered to:

Will great monkey sex be enough to save a strained romance between a Jacksonville Beach tour guide and a live-your-best-life devotee when an ex-childhood sweetheart enters the mix?

Applying my own logic to my own creation, I, E.C. Henry would classify SO GO BACK & GET HER as 60% raunch-com, and 40% ego-com.  Almost all movies have degrees of mix: romance, action, horror, drama, exc.  BUT eventually it fall is one master genre classification, and can be sub-grouped into another more specific designation.  SO BACK & GER HER master genre is romantic comedy.  BUT appeal and story-wise it it for people with a taste for raunch-com material.  Two of the characters in SO BACK & GET HER are ego-com material: Kathy Smith and Deke Platt, but since there is considerable rauchy gags and sex stuff, I think it's more a raunchy, romantic comedy in the mold of THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN.  

As you're about to see, ol' E.C. packs a rom-com punch!!

Now ol' E.C. has been writing under the greater romantic comedy umbrella for a long time.  Going back over past scripts I've written that have a romantic comedy bend, I'll now list them, and what their romantic comedy sub-genre is based on that list I made of romantic comedy sub-genre listings.  As you will find is true when evaluating ANY movie that their are many different elements in a movie.  You can have heavy romance accent.  A social commentary.  Some horror elements.  Maybe a ransom which leads to a action/adventure twist to a story like there was in Romancing the Stone (1984: Kathleen Turner, Michael Douglas, Danny DiVito)

1. GIVE IT UP FOR CHIMPY, & LOVE, MUSIC AND MONKEYS: GIVE IT UP FOR CHIMPY II romantic comedy sub-listing: Unique Ability Rom-Com.  Justification: The protagonist uses his ability to speak for a monkey to get him closer to the girl of his dreams.  
2. REVENGE OF THE FAT CHICKS romantic comedy sub-listing: Teen Rom-Com.  Justification: Deals with issues that girls in high school deal with.
3. CUPID'S HELPERS romantic comedy sub-listing: Destiny Rom-Com.  Justification: The main protagonist is still hung-up from a girl from his past, and must come to terms with that issue in his life, lest a famous writer never get to experience love for himself.
4. HOMETOWN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL romantic comedy sub-listing: Sports Rom-Com.  Justification: The new football league is the bedrock of all the action.  One caveat is that all the romantic relationships in there, are different.  Their are elements of slapstick humor, destiny rom-com, and ego romantic comedy, BUT the underbelly that unifies it all is a sports league.  
5. AN AMERICAN PRINCESS romantic comedy sub-listing: Destiny Rom-Com.  Justification: The central question of the story is if a girl who holds the torch for a budding writer can get him to commit to her fully.  This has destiny written all over it.
6. CUPID GOT STUPID romantic comedy sub-listing: Ego Rom-Com.  Justification: Sure on the surface this appears to be a Unique Ability Rom-com: as there is an accent character in a coffee shop who may be an angel, BUT the central relationship deals very strongly with a man with ego and decision-making problems.  Read the script and I think that emerges as the story unfolds and becomes the main emphasis. 
7. AFTER THE GLORY romantic comedy sub-listing: Ego Rom-Com.  Justification: Sure there's a sports accent in this one, as the main character is an x-NFL quarterback; but the central romance is between him and reporter.  There is also a Teen Rom-Com accent in this one as well, but in the end you focus on Rex Roundtail's romance, and that's Ego Rom-Com material.
8. PUPPIES?  PUPPIES??  PUPPIES!!! romantic comedy sub-listing: Fairytale Meets Reality Rom-Com.  Justification: The main protagonist's arc.  He fights his reality vs. his pursuit of a girl that he's attracted to.  YES their are elements of a Slacker Rom-com, a little bit of Urban Rom-Com, this show is never really about Contemporary Dating Rom-Com, and there is little slapstick humor -- though that is not the main focus of the story.  So this story best fits as a Fairytaile Meet Reality Rom-Com, based on main protagonist and the airy nature of the many of the scenes. 
9. BUBBLEHEAD SAVES THE DAY romantic comedy sub-listing: Destiny Rom-Com.  Justification: YES, this story takes place in world of a high school senior who is about to graduate so there is some Teen Rom-Com stuff here.  There is also a robot from outer space and other being from outer space that influence the male protagonist so we've got some Unique Ability Rom-Com stuff here, and since the story takes place primarily in a residential neighborhood you have the Urban Rom-Com angle.  But in the end its a story about a boy who feels like he's losing his chance to connect with a girl that he's a torch for, for a long-long time, and that my friends is Destiny Rom-Com territory.  
10. WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE CALLS romantic comedy sub-listing: Action/Adventure Rom-com.  Justification: The main protagonist is trying to toward a small-town bank robbery, and also want to reconnect with a past flame.  No, in the end I don't think WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE CALLS is pure rom-com, BUT you could make a case that it has enough to fall into that category.  There is also a Sour Note Rom-com angle with one of Clark and Ellen's friends that can't be denied.  And the Ellen character screams Ego Rom-Com material.  
11. SO GO BACK & GET HER romantic comedy sub-listing: Raunchy Rom-Com.  Justification: the central force keeping Deke Platt and Kathy Smith together is their sex life.  It's is the glue that keeps them together, but is that enough when given the things that two of them are into?  This story is about two people that are very different, yet are trying in their own way to overcome problems to strengthen their relationship.  Considerable rauncyness abounds, but if you take a deeper look you may also find elements of the Action/Adventure Rom-com, Contemporary Dating Rom-com, Ego Rom-com, and Sexually Deviant Rom-Com material in this story.

E.C. Henry's scripts pack a punch!

Wow, all told I've written 23 spec scripts.  Just off this analysis over half of them, 12 are romantic comedies. 

E.C. Henry's Romantic Comedy Sub-genre Scoreboard:

1. Destiny Romantic Comedy: 3; CUPID'S HELPERS, AN AMERICAN PRINCESS, BUBBLEHEAD SAVES THE DAY
2. Unique Ability Romantic Comedy: 2; GIVE IT UP FOR CHIMPY I & II
3. Ego Romantic Comedy: 2; CUPID GOT STUPID, AFTER THE GLORY
4. Teen Romantic Comedy: 1; REVENGE OF THE FAT CHICKS
5. Sports Romantic Comedy: 1; HOMETOWN PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL
6. Fairytale Meets Reality Romantic Comedy: 1; PUPPIES?  PUPPIES??  PUPPIES!!!
7. Action/Adventure Romantic Comedy: 1; WHEN THE MOTORCYCLE CALLS
8. Raunchy Romantic Comedy: 1; SO GO BACK & GET HER

So now I'm "in the ring" with Destiny Romantic Comedies being the sub-genre I apparently write in the most.  Here's the thing: I never set out do that.  These "classifications" came later, AFTER I had written and look back on the themes and storylines I was pursuing.  Create something memorable, THEN go back and see where it fits on the shelf of past movies.

Being "in the ring" in the romantic comedy genre is fun.  I LOVE writing romantic comedies.  I've said it once, I'll say it again, this if my favorite genre to writing.  Romantic Comedies are about...

Celebrating women in games of courtship.

In the end that is what the romantic comedy genre means to me.  It has ALWAYS been and will continue to be one of the most important genre of film, for in them we find inspiration for our own romances.  Cut that out of your life, and you're living a much more gutted and meaningless life.  So go for the deeper things in life.  Embrace the romantic comedy genre of movies.  For in them you will find romance, and will find some laughs.  

I'm going to update my master sub-genre listings incorporating MY (as of yet unsold romantic comedy scripts).  Why not?  I deserve it.  My stories would make better movies than many films on that list.  Of that I have no doubt.  Never been lacking in belief of my material, just been kept out the industry by factors beyond my control; you can't make someone like you.  BUT you can create and make the best art you're capable of.   And too that extent ol' E.C. Henry has been "in the ring" for a long-long time, since the early 2000s'.  I got my first spec. copyright protected back in 2004, and in those 16 years I have 23 spec. scripts to show for that effort.  That translates into 1.44 screenplays per year!  And 12 of them could be considered romantic comedies under the definitions that I've provided.  

E.C. Henry: a champion romantic comedy screenplay writer!

Jexi (2019): The Little Rom-com That Could; Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies, Volume 69

Two weekends ago I took a chance on a movie I wasn't real sure about, but since I was in need of a good I went and saw it, hoping for the best.  That movie was: "Jexi" (staring: Adam Devine, written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore).  It was a rom-com.  And all things considered I THINK it's now my 2nd favorite movie of 2019 after Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood".  

It has been a long time since I broached issues in the rom-com genre, May 17, 2017 to be exact.  Three reasons for this:

1. There haven't been many rom-com movies released since May 2017
2. I've haven't been focused on writing a straight rom-com since then
3. I'm in my 50s now, and I don't think about male/female pairings as much as I used to  

I did like this movie though.  It got me to laugh.  Far from caviler, the plot for the "Jexi" movie is simple: a man in silicon valley needs to learn how to set his cellphone aside and gain a more fulfilling life people from the around him.  A topic in 2019 worth exploring in the movies.  So tip of the hat to writers: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore; for centering a story around that.    

The best thing "Jexi" has going for it is its choice for leading man, Adam Devine.  I remember Adam Devine from the rom-com, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016, also staring: Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, and Aubrey Plaza).  Really wasn't all that impressed with that movie, but I did appreciate Adam's acting and persona.  

"Jexi" really lacks a "sexy" female co-lead.  Alexandra Ship was a POOR CHOICE for Adam Devine's love interest in this show.  Gotta do better than that, imo. 

Sure THIS is a sexy picture of Alexandra Shipp befitting that of a rom-com, female lead , but you don't get ANY of that in "Jexi"

"Jexi" also is a fairly predictable, and SIMPLE story.  Even it's laughs are really only generated by dialog exchanges which hints at WEAK screenwrting.  Gotta vary it up boyz.

But what "Jexi" did right was the get laughs out of the cellphone's "Jexi" system's voice that interacts with Adam Devine's "Phil" character.  Thankfully that is where much of this film's screen time is: Phil getting life advice from his cellphone that tries her best to be a female love interest.  "Jexi" falls in love with Phil, and Phil must distance himself from the technology he's so immersed in to pursue "Cate" (Alexandra Ship's character).

The movie "Jexi" is great reminder that a rom-com doesn't have to be overly flashy -- or even have a "hot" female lead in order to succeed.  Rather, its the central conflict that breeds comedy and laughs, which matters most.  "Jexi" proves (at least to me) that the romantic comedy genre isn't dead.  It can still be made, touch on issues that impact us all, and get us to laugh and look at romance in new light. 

Classification-wise I would classify "Jexi" (2019) as a "contemporary dating rom-com" since at its core this story deals with a man dealing with a contemporary issue: over-dependence on his cellphone that has short-circuited the potential lovelife that he could be having.  

Judge for yourself...

 

Sap Still Works: "Overboard (2018)"; Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies Volume 69

This a movie that I originally avoided when it came out.  Yeah, I'm a rom-com guy; but on the surface this one really looked like rehash and as a creative I have a natural bias against Hollywood reboots.  (The original "Overboard movie came out in 1987 and it starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell)  I was kind of on the fence about that movie.  Didn't think it was very funny or romantic.  

So how did the reboot fair with a skeptic like me?

Actually quite favorably...

To me the biggest revelation about "Overboard" (2018) was its male lead, Eugenio Derbez.  NEVER head of that guy before.  But... he kinda steal the show in this one.  Good, interesting character, acted to a tee by Eugenio.  Wasn't so enamored with Anna Faris' Kate Sullivan character.  Like Anna Faris better in "The House Bunny" (2008).  

One real positive that worked in this reboot was the fusing in of the Mexican accent.  Got some good comic relief from Leonardo Montenegro (Eugenio Derbez's character) trying his hand at manual labor with fellow Mexican laborers, and Leonardo's rich family was done right: a patriarch father, a scheming sister, and a liberal loving type sister.  Also had some accent by Leonardo's boss in the movie--who was a Seattle Seahawk fan, which is always a plus!

The sap comes in the form of the tie back of sea-lorn lovers Catalina and her Spanish lover.  This fable was used in the 1987 original, and make a reprisal in the 2018 reboot late in ACT II and III.  Wasn't sold on that.  But one form of sappery which DID work on me was Kate Sullivan's three daughters--especially the youngest one who chases after Leonardo on the bike that Leonardo taught her to ride when Leonardo's family comes back to rescue their lost member.  That reminded me of a scene from Mel Gibson's "The Patriot" where his character gets stopped by his littlest daughter who suddenly becomes quite chatty when faced with losing her father as he goes back to fight against the British in the Revolutionary War.  

So where does the entry leave the rom-com genre? 

"Come on, E.C. baby, show me some love!"

Sorry, Anna, your re-imaged rom-com does NOTHING to get the romantic comedy genre out of the doldrums.  Still more impressed with Amy Schumer's potential than yours.  "Overboard" (2018) did exceed my expectations for it, but that's not saying much. 

Sincerely,

E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA 

 

When You Know, You Know; Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies: Volume 68

Can you believe it's been nearly a YEAR since I did a rom-com post?!  Bullshit, right?  Well-p, you can blame Hollywood for that.  Seems like these days most artists down in Tinseltown are more interested in bashing our current president in office than focus on.  THE.  MOST.  IMPORTANT.  MOVIE GENRE  OF.  THEM.  ALL!! !  That being-- 

The Romantic Comedy!!!

All that is with the exception of Amy Schumer.  She is the ONE hope that I have for the rom-com genre right now.  How did it ever come to that?  Sad... but I do think Amy IS capable of reviving the genre.  She just has "it", saw it in "Trainwreck" (2015: story by Amy Schumer, directed by Judd Apatow).  If she can ever get beyond her bias against Republicans maybe we could work together someday...  Hmm.  Well, I do have a rom-com in me that I would like to write with her to have her star in.  But I digress... back to the crux of his post.   

"O, snap!  E.C. Henry likes me...  Fuck it, he's a Republican."

When I was editing the 2nd book in an epic fantasy series I had an epiphany.  It came when a villainous character of mine was reflecting back on his love life and remembering when the love of his life fell in love with someone else.  (Got your romantic attention yet?) Anyway during this character's time of reflection it suddenly dawned on me that this character was giving his impression of when two characters had a moment where the knew that they knew that they were destined for each other.  Now, this moment CRUSHED this villainous character and in retrospect sent him on a new trajectory--which for him, personally was a bad one, BUT for those two other characters was their moment where the knew that they knew that they were destined for each other.

Get where I'm coming from?  Hope so, because this is the "magic point" of love.  It's that moment of revelation where you know that you know that you either love someone, or are going to next step further and marry that person.

I love the rom-com genre, and the truths it allows its audience to see.  Love.  Ever felt it for someone?  If so how did that look?

Or maybe like this:

Or perhaps this:

Be that from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2002), "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993) or "While You Were Sleeping" (1996) chances are the moment that you knew that you knew you were in love (or going to marry that girl) was a strange, yet magical moment.  These are the things that MAKE this genre.  The very heart of EVERYTHING the rom-com genre is about; when you know that you know that you love someone.

I hope that everyone has a that key rom-com moment in their life; when the they have their confession of love.  Why?  Because that's what fills your heart with good.  That's the kind of thing that makes life worth living.  

Okay, Sherlock.  Mr. La-ooove king. Have you ever had that moment?  No. I'm going to be 48 years old in a little over 2 weeks from now, and no I've never experienced that either on the receiving or the giving end.  And YES that is GREAT lament of mine.  Why be so honest about that?  I'm almost 48 years old and single as all fuck, what do I got to lose!!!  (Okay, that was the raunch part in me that just made a rare appearance)

But in all seriousness I love the rom-com genre because in it, in various place that can be found you get to see people find their soul mates.  You get to see that priceless expression on their face where the know that that know that love someone.  That's an expression that should NEVER be undersold.  In real life sometimes we hear about these moments when people talk about their own trek to the aisle.  I HOPE that in my own life I get to experience that, and I hope you do too.

I'm sap, I know.

Mike and Dave Needed a Better Script; Exploring Issues in Rom-Com Movies: Volume 67

I went into this movie, "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" (2016: directed by Jake Szymanksi, written by Andrew Jay Cohen, Brendan O'Brien), with the highest of hopes.  Saw the trailer and thought to myself, "Wow, this looks like a great set-up for a potentially great romantic comedy.  Unfortunatly, ultimately the story that unfolds as the story goes on DOESN'T live up to its potential, OR the great 4-cast leads that movie has: Audrey Plaza, Adam Devine, Anna Kendick, and Zac Effron; all listed in order of how good I precieve them to be.

I would would classify, "Mike a Dave Need Wedding Dates" as an Ego-com, which is a subset group I made to help expain and differerntiate between all the different romantic comedy movies out there, though their is clearly some raunch-com and some vaccation rom-com in there too. The reason I would classify "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" as an Ego-com is the competing agenda of the two man lead team: Zac Effron and Adam Divine; vs. the two woman team of: Audrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick.  Zac and Adam's characters have to show they can tone down there over-the-top partying ways and bring two "nice girls" to their sister's wedding in Hawaii.  Audrey Plaza and Anna Kendick's characters are just looking for vaccation to get away from their troubles and disappointments.  It's the competing agenda that's finds conflict with each other that IS the heart of this movie.  And that's a GREAT place to have a rom-com come from.  Very much reminded me of the competing agendas of Matthew McConahuey and Kate Hudson in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003).  The only problem here is, that after such a great high concept start and a good start to the moive, AFTER the scene where Adam Divine's character accidently hits his sister in the side of the face with a wheel of his off-road quad-racer, the plot points get weaker and weaker, and the unjustifiable raunch dooms a movie that started out with good promice.  

So how bad was the raunch?  Pretty bad.  Like a scene where Audry Plaza's character finger masterbates a female cousin and rival of Adam Divine's character.  Then there's the massause paid for sexual extras to be done on the bride-to-be which is very graphic though the massuse doesn't actually penetrate the bride-to-be with his dick, which is supposed to justify and exuse him being naked and bumping and rubbing all over finally, which finally gets the bride-to-be to sexually climax, which is then witnessed by Adam Divine's charcter who looks in at the wrong time to check up on his sister.  There is a graphic shot of the bride-to-be high on extasy and showing off her naked body.  The movie ends with Adam Divine's character have sex with Audry Plaza's character in a horse barn with reverse rolls: Audry acting like the man, Adam acting like the woman.  The come the credits where some stupid outtakes are shown.   NONE of that graphic raucnh needed to be in this script for the story to work.  And NONE of that low-ball, graphic stuff added to the story and should have been filmed with greater care.  VERY BAD JOB: Jake Szymanki, the director; for allowing those shots to be in the final cut of this movie.  Really inexcuseable and LAZY filmmaking.  

Therein lies this movie's tragic misteps that doom the general good chemistry that all four of the leads had with each other.  For those who say all you need is character chemisty, you should watch this movie for yourself and see where you think this movie derails.  I say it was because of poor screenwriting and plot points that begin to happen in bunchs in Act II.  AFTER the quad hits the bride-to-be, this movie just seams to fall apart more and more with each scene, and after that director Jake Szymanski shows poor use of scene stack-ups and post editing to take those sexually charged scenes and work on the comedy aspects of them.  It's like by Jake's poor choices he leaves us with a pornagraphic instead of a comedic punchline.  Needless to say, I don't think much of director Jake Szymanski.  I think the guy was lazy and his failure to visualize and maximise comedic scenes by his callout of shot was the biggest reason that this movie wasn't very good.  You can't really on reaction shots by your actors and actresses to carry the comedy.  You gotta know what to show, and what not to show.  And this, guy, Jake Szymanski, doesn't display good taste or discression, and because of that this movie suffered.

Overall I would grade out, "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" as a 6.0 out of a possible 10.  Yes, I did laugh, but an excess of raunch and excessive graphic pornographic stuff, and set peices that were lacking in Act II and III really weigh this movie down.  I also thought it was poor choice to make the white bride-to-be's husband a black guy.  I GUESS they were trying to promote mix marriages and show that they're okay.  The problem here is black guy is quite boring and adds very little to story and humor.  The story would have been beter served with another comedic angle coming in, like say a Russell Brand or something.  I'm not against seeing mix marriages or coupling, like in the movie "Hancock" where at the end a romance is alluded to between Charlize Theron and Will Smith's character.  It's just in this movie the white bride and black groom add NOTHING to the story.  No added tension, no additial comedy.  Nothing.  And my point is that this story SHOULD have gotten something from that character.  

Here are some odd' and ends from my observations of the movie:

• I am now a fan of Anna Kendrick's acting.  Never thought much of her before.  But in this movie I really thought she did a fine job of acting.  She took the role and made a character that is different from herself come alive.  Of all the characters in "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" her's was the one that ended up sticking out the most.  Sure, this movie is there for Adam Divine to ham it up and make a name for himself, but it was Anna Kendrick who won me over by the end of it.
• Aubrey Plaza is the next Judy Greer.  Wow, does this girl ever have a GREAT vibe that makes for a staple that can play in many more rom-com's to come.  Her snarky attitude is gold!  I really like her schtick.  Like it back in NBC's "Parks and Recreation".  Like it even more now.  
• Hollywood directors need to learn how to stack shots for comedic affect in post-production.  Too much humor is expected of actor and actresses in scenes.  Movie's aren't stand-up comedy routines.  I think today's movie-makers, by and large, are lazy and uncreative when it comes to visualizing how different shots can build up to a comedic punchline.
• Comedy movies need to have background, zanny/silly music in spots that helps accents the moments where comedy is.  Drama, horror and action/adventure uses music to accent the drama, why aren't comedies doing the same?
• The people make movies in the studios today are crass and vulgar.  There is a lack of restraint and sophistication at the very top levels of Hollywood, and it shows quite readily in the romantic comedies that are being released.  I feel so sorry for America and the world.  Hollywood's poor sence of taste is like a vulgar poison.  Are movies and getting raunchier and rauncier.  And that makes me sad.
• A good idea doesn't write itself.  This movie had a GREAT set-up.  As good or better than, "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days", and yet the set pieces that were done in "Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates" can't hold a candle to the ones in "How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days".  Screenwriters Andrew Jay Cohen and Brendan O'Brien really failed to take this great, initial concept they were given and fill it with set pieces that were funny and romantic.  

Sorry if it seams like I'm harping at this point.  I really don't wanna be like that in my heart of hearts.  I'm a HUGE fan of the romantic comedy genre.  And I do want it to suceed and thrive.  But I refuse to say flattering things about movies that are underwelling JUST to pump of the genre as a whole.  

The truth of the mater is, I'm losing hope in Hollywood of making a "good" romantic comedy anymore.  The place just seams littered with perverts who don't know how to film or edit anything that's artistically worthwhile.  The sleaze factor is so high in so many of these movies, when it shouldn't be that way.  These are "chick flicks".  Shows for women to help them meet a need in their life.  And Hollywood's provides pornography in that sacred place?  It just makes me so sad.  Especially when they're building off a vast lexicon of movies of the past.  They should be advancing the frontier, not destroying it's foundations.  

In closing let me just say that I love romantic comedy movies, I just don't like the crass and tasteless people who are currently making them.  Hollywood needs an overhaul.  They need new talent to clean things up that the most recent generation has shit all over.

An Explanded Romantic Universe; Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies: Volume 66

Now I don't know if, when, or how the romantic comedy movie genre will get back on its feet again, and become a mainstay in the greater movie landscape.  BUT I thought I'd use this post to remind you that there is a lot of romance in the movies.

Even in some of the most popular movie franchises of all-time: "Star Wars" (1977 through 2015, seven movies with many, many core to come); Hans Solo and Leia, then Annakin and Padme, Indiana Jones movies (1981 through 2012, five movies with maybe some more to come) Indiana Jones and Miram.  Every James Bond movie has James Bond in some kind of adventure with a hottie.  Even the Superhero movies poke around and tease with romance from time-to-time.  Why, in just the last Captain America movie, there was a hint of romance between Captain America and some agent from S.H.I.E.L.D., the CIA or some agency.  

Anywho, my point is, yes, there is still romance being implored in the movies today--even if it's not come from the main, more obveous spout of the romantic comedy genre.  The sad thing is, I can't even remember a single, rom-com movie release so far for this year in 2016.  Going on about 11 months since Amy Schumer's "Trainwreck" (directed by Judd Apatow, written by Amy Schumer) raunch-com came out.  That's a LONG LONG time to wait.  I guess the point is we need to get Amy Schumer off the shtick so we can get this genre going again.  

Just kidding.  Big of Amy's, but in all honesty the rom-com genre needs more partispants than just her.

Okay, so now up to this point I've made two key points.  The first, is that if you look at the grander lexicon of movies you will find lesser versions of romance in bigger released flims.  My 2nd point was romantic comedies are not being made these days anymore.  Sorry, 11 months in between a major movie release means that your genre is dead.  Wish that wasn't the case, but sadly it is.  

So where do we go from here.  Well-p, I'm not going to let Hollywood tell me what stories I should be satisfied with, so I'm writing my own that are infinately better than the releases that they are putting out right now.  And someday, if I ever get discovered, and movies made off my scripts ever get made, romance is coming back, baby!  O, yeah it's coming back fresh, and better than it ever was before.  Check out my list of scripts I've written.  Already the change for the better written and ready to roll.

Never give up on your dreams, irreguardless of market conditions.  Why?  Because conditions change.  And people's tastes change.  The romantic comedy has so much to offer people in the form of inspiration, laughs, and an improvent in life.  Hollywood may have lost sight of that, but I never have.

Getting back to the crux of this post: an expanded romantic universe.  Wow, what a title, huh?  Can I live up to such a tittle?  Yes, I believe I can.  And it's in what I'm writing right now!  I've already hyped up the truth that in this epic fantasy novel I'm writing it has three BIG romances that all happen from cute meet to joyous defeat.  No, they are not atypical rom-com fair BUT they are romances that play a key part in the greater story that's being told.  And guess what folks, in all honesty I don't JUST have three romances in this story, I actually have many more.  Some even in the vain of a tragic romance like Anakin and Padme!   In doing recent rewrites of the prolog, I really fleshed out a tragic romance that frames part of the backstory for one my greater story villians.

Hey, wait a minute, can villians really have a romance?

Dude, if your outlook on romance and characters is that narrow, you really need to grow up!  YES, villains can have romances.  Rember that movie, "Wall Street" (1987: directed by Oliver Stone, writers Stanley Weiser, and Oliver Stone) which stared Chalie Sheen (before he went completely nuts), Daryl Hannah, and Michael Douglas?  Well in that movie there is a complication where at one point the villain of the movie, Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas' character) was an item with Daryl Hannah's character, which is a complication for the budding romance that happening between Charlie Sheen and Daryl Hannah's character.  Besides that their alway the Bellamy character/the wrong guy who complicates things in some romantic comedies.  And from his or her perspective they are in a romance of their own, it just doesn't have a happy ending.  

"Ewww gross, I just got a kiss from ol' E.C."

I'm a HUGE propoent of romance in stories.  A long time ago when I was in junior college I can still remember a female, litteray professor say that if a story didn't have a romance in it, she wasn't interested.  I thiink that was the original kernal that stuck in my craw keying me in long before I became a writer that romance was important.  Now today as much more savy and self-realized person I find romance comes a lot of time out the backstory that people have.  Many of the romances and romantic trajectories of the characters that I've penned comes out of their character bios and backstories.  The wonderfull thing about writing a novel as opposed to a screenplay is that in a novel you have the luxury of going into as many characters as you want and flesh them out.  During which time you have a prime opportunity to tell a story with a romance in it.  Which is what I do time and time again in this epic fantasy story that I've written.

Heres' some of the expanded romantic storylines that I explore in the epic fantasy novel that I have written:

1. Sexually frustared and romantically inexperienced protagonist persues and entually wins the heart of a princess despite the major complications that their romance has a seveal key characters in this tory: Main love story.
2. A dark hearted rival in relation to the main protagonist falls in love with a beautiful, but risky and troubled maid who locked into a life-long service contract with the main antagonist of the story: 2nd main romance of the story.
3. Dashing young prince whose world has just crumbled rescues a damsel in distress.  She falls in love with him, but has strong ties to the main antogonist's henchmen which risks the safety of anyone that she's close to.  3rd main romance in the story.
4. The father of the princes struggles with the legacy of his kingship in relation to his desceased wife because when he was younger he lost out on his bid to win the fairest woman who's husband should have been king in his place.  2nd tier love story stuff which affects several differernt characters in the story.
5. The master antagonist had had an illicit, and religousy taboo affiar with a maid under his service which resulted in an unwanted pregancy which has swept under the carpet by him, but is a great sence of loss for that maid.  Tragic romance complication.
6. A young woman who has been sold into slavery secretly years for love she one had with the story's main, master henchmen, but a spiritual awkening in her casts the light for a greater life than the one she had previously thought was attainable.  But her isolated slavery makes her fear that none of that may ever be acheivable.  
7. Story framing, greater expanded story villain, was at one point a teenager madly in love, who gave that up to pursue an ambition that turned unholy and grew to Hitler Nazi Germany proportions.  Tragic romance of the Padme/Annakin varriety.  
8. A budding young officer in the army sets his sights on girl--only to have another young upstart come in under him and steal his girl away.  Buddy rivalry romance.
9. The master henchmen, who had given up on love as he was in the mindst of trying to rebuild his legacy, suddenly becomes awoken to the prospects of rehabilation his image when a girl from his past suddenly comes back into his world.  
10. A key subordinate underneath the master henchmen defiles and rapes an associate of his and the master henchmen, which puts a wedge in between their friendship, and risks the relationship between the master henchmen and the master antagonist of the story.
11. Various cute meets and romatic sparring between teenagers in lavish, mediveal ballrooms all which in contact with villians who are inacting plans of thier own.
12. A partying and womanizing prince from another kindgom tries to use his appeal and allure to win over women that seveal other 3rd tier characters have set their sights on.  
13. The humble, hardworking--yet disgraced by the king, father of the prince who is next in line to succeed in throne must deal with the one-time romantic rival for hand of the woman who went on to become his wife, and help his son who still struggles with the loss of his mother, who he was barely able to remember becasue she died when he was a little boy.  
14. A prince in the framing, greater master story has a Cinderella-esque romance with a maid under his father's service, but faces the prospect that he is most elgible and desirable bachellor in the world when he wins in an age-defining battle.
15. A pagan tempress has an elict affair with a religiously taboo figure which has disasterous affects for all in their company and the history of the word.  

Think I can't do romance?  Think again skippy.  Think I can't weave iconic romance into the greater character arcs of the people that populate this story?  Think again!  This story has romance in spades.  Lots of romances.  Count 'em up.  I liste 15 and that's just off the top of my head!!  Some romances that come and go.  All that influence characters and central parts in their own individual character arcs.   SOME of these romances DO have a happy ending. others are quite tragic and have lasting effects on geneartions to come.  In some of these romances there are rapes and abortions.  I'm pretty fearless about the things I write about--but even with subject matters like that, I deal with them tastefully. 

Anyway, when I think about the greater, expanded romantic universe in the story I'm writing, I get excited for the future--and you should too!  Someday, I will get discovered, and when that happens, happy days are here again.  Why?  Because, I get, honor and respect romance.  And if given the chance to entertain I will bring back romance to the masses in a fresh new way that they have never experienced before.

Believe it.  

Mastering the Music Montage; Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies: Volume 65

Not a big fan of the music montage, but lately there in ONE that's really been standing out in my mind.  It's the useage of Keith Urban's song, "Someone Like You" in the GREAT romanic comedy, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003, staring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson).   What I'm talking about is the part in the movie where Benjamin Barry (Mattew McConaughey) is teaching Andie Anderson (Kate Hudson) how to ride his motorcyle when the two of them take off after spending some time with Ben's family on Statin Island.

 

NOT your clasic, textbook, music montage.  I say this because of all the dialog being spoken in three scene.  A more, classic montage would hold back the character voices and focus on the acion and then let the song re-inforce the centeral theme of the sequence, which is Andie and Ben have a good and memoroable time when Andie tries to ride Ben's motorcycle.  In the arc of their romance this a time when Ben is trying to teach Andie something, and Andie has fun with Ben in being taught under him.  It's a cute, charcter bonding scene.  

I like the way Christopher Riley describes a montage in his book, "The Hollywood Standard: The Complete and Definative Guide to Scipt Format and Sytle".  From page 34:

A montage is a series of brief images, often under music, used to show the passage of time, the unfolding of chacter's plan, or the evolution of charcter or relationship over time

Then I like to fuse the example that "The Hollywood Standard" and "The Screenwriter's Bible" to come up with the way to format this sequence.  MINUS the dialog.  Here is how I would revese engineer that musical montage from "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days":

 

The GUITAR PICKUP of Keith Urban's song, "SOMEONE LIKE YOU" BEGINS to play and carries us into...

MOTORCYCLE RIDING LESSON - MONTAGE

On a seaside pier.  Ben sits in back on Andie on his motorcyle and whispers some instructions in her ear.  Andie then nods okay, Ben jumps off the bike.  And Andie drives ahead recklessly on her own--untill Ben saves her by jumping back aboard and pulling in clutch and hitting the brakes.

On the side of the road.  Ben brings Andie a cup of shaved ice.  The couple just starts to eat into this treat when a a passing truck hits pothole and SPLASHES both Ben and Andie with a lot of puddle water.  Ben then gets his revenge on this passing jerk by beaing the truck with his cup of shaved ice.

At Ben's parents driveway.  Andie makes the turn off the road and onto the driveway.  She is happy with he accomplishment, and in stopping gets a sexy bump in rump by Ben's pelvis, which she laughs off like a floosie.  Happy and with smiles on their faces both Ben and Andie head towards the door which mark a FADING OUT of the KEITH URBAN SONG and the END OF THE MONTAGE.

INT. BEN'S PARENTS GUEST BATHROOM - MOMENT'S LATER

Andie laughs at the puddle blotching on both her's and Ben's shirt.

 

Okay, so how'd I do?  Never thought I'd reverse engineer a music montage, but there you have it.  Started out each indivual sequence in the monatage with a simple sentence that served as the slug line for that sequence.  THEN in the lines which followed in that paragraph described the action that the actors were to do in the sequence.  Later I cued a dampeing of the music with makes the audience ready for a new scene to start, which it does this time in a guest bathroom.  

Personally, I love music montages.  Music is a great way to convey a prevailing feeling.  And I don't think pre-pros should be told not to use them in their scripts.  Everyone who's ever me not to call out specific music I looked down on and thought they were a dipshit.  Why be vague when you can be specifc?  In production alternate music can always be replaced.  Calling out music is like calling for a certain feeling.  Like the frantic beat in, "Head Over Heels" as played by the Go-Gos in the movie "13 Going on 30" that fuses the fast-pace of life in New York with a young girl's pop perspective of it.  Also loved Hall Oates song, "You Make My Dreams Come True" in "(500) Days of Summer", though is techincally a fantasy dance routine, how cool was it to get to experience the joy that a girl can make you feel.  Ever had a girl make you want to spontaneoulsy break out into dance in the middle of the park?  That's what a good movie can do.  It can help you get a taste for the higher things in life.  That's a reason right there, folks, why you should love this genre.  It has the ability to do some things that no other genre can do.

Couldn't we all use a little more of this in our lives?

Well-p, I think I've written enough for now.  Sorry, I didn't have this post ready to go on Sunday.  Drank too much beer... but that's going to start changing.  You ALMOAST got a post on goals of mine instead of this.  That post is forthcoming.  But for now, just let the power of the rom-com take you away.  Take you away to a place where your with that romantic someone that you love and things between you are going well.  For me, that's the heart of the genre and the biggest attracting factor that it has going for it: showing in brief flashes that romance can work and bring great joy into a person's life.

  Keith Urban and his wife in real life, Niccole Kidman

Taylor Swift and Just Who are the New Romantics; Exploring Issues in Rom-com Movies: Volume 64

Okay, so I did something a little wacky before I went on my most recent writer's I made a new rom-com oriented playlist to get my psched and in the mood.  In doing so, I remeber getting an e-mail from the Taylor Swift fansite, which was promoting a new music video release for the song, "The New Romantics".  So there I go on iTune, listen to its preview, then buy it for $1.29.   Totally worth it.  I really enjoyed listening to that song on my trek down to, while in, and then traveling back from Long Beach, Washington.  Would have included a link to the video for the song, but it pretty much sucks, it's one of the "concert" videos which are almoast always underwhelming.  

Taylor Swift is such a diva--but a likeable diva.  Didn't mean diva in a derogatory fashion.  HUGE fan of Taylor and at age 46 going to be 47 on June 10, not even close to being the range of her target demographic: hipsters in their 20s and the teen market that doesn't know any better.  

Now in the song, Tayor Swift, claims she's part of a group called "the new romantics" and even invites people to join her.  In this song I thinks she explains her clique quite well, and with fun pzazz.   But I did have a few problems with the lyrics.  NEVER like people saying, "We're on the road to ruin."  That's not cool.  You can be a romantic and NOT be on the road to ruin.  Makes me wonder too if that has a spiritual connetation.  Don't know if Taylor Swilft believes in Jesus or not, given her country music start I gotta belive she knows something about Jesus...  My point is, I don't like that lyric and everytime I heard it in the song I kinda cringe.  

The other problem I have with the song is that it's more geared for explaining Taylor Swift's diva crew then being more broad and ready to be excepted by a wider range of people.  Romance is bigger that Taylor Swift.  It's bigger than E.C. Henry too.  

I believe EVERYONE wants to be love by a member of the opposite sex, it's the expression of that varries.  What I LOVE about Taylor Swift is that she brings attention to romance, brings it to the forefront and gives us something to talk about.  For that I am very greatful for Taylor Swift and her platform.  She is an AWESOME celebrity.  But, if I have one qualm with her it's that her view of romance is too narrow.

Being a "new romantic" doesn't require you to be a famous pop star in her prime.  New romance can be found by people of all sizes, all ethnetisities, and ages.  Case and point:

On of my aunt Denny's friends who flew all the way over from Baltimore to spend a week with us arround the time of Denny's memorial service.  One night I sat down and chatted with my aunt's friend since grade school, and she told me she had a new romance brewing while she was now 67 years old.  67 years old and still gettin' after it with new guys--is that cool or what.  My aunts friend had a couple kids with a husband that she is now divorsed from.  Anyway, my aunts friend asked me what I thought and I told her to go for it!  She was an inspirations to me.  My point is:

You are never too old for romance.

It's a need we have as men and women.  Romance isn't just for mega hotties like Taylor Swift, it's for all of us.  That's one of the things I like about studying the rom-com genre, it re-inforces the hope that romance happens to a bevvy of different people at varried states in the life.  Take Steve Carrell's Dan from "Dan in Real Life" (2007), where Dan is middle aged widdower with three young daughter and yet his interests in romance get kiddled by a new woman who joings his family over the course a weekend, fall gathering.  Take Nia Vardalos' Toula from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002), where Toula is attempting self-transformation out of the drone drudgery of her family waitress job when she finnally starts to connect with a guy she likes.  Of cource you can always go Golden Grey, where I site several examples of those of the older generation taking their own foray into romance.  

Baby we're the new romantics / Come, come along with me

Well, where we going, Taylor?  How open is your invitation?  Is it totally faux?  Is it just to expand your impressive cadre of frinends?  Ah, even when I want to I can't rip on Talyor Swift.  Not when CONSTANTLY puts herself out there opeing dialog on converstaion topics so fun and juicy.  

Everyone is welcome to be a "new romantic" in my book.  That's one of the cool things of life, is that in studying the life and stories of other people you see that most people have a romantic bend to them.  Even my recently diseased who at one point actually applied to be nun in a cloister, at couple points in her life expressed interest in men.  NEVER rule someone out romantically.  Maybe they're not the one for you, but that doesn't mean that they're not out there looking too.  They probably are.  

Baby, we're the new romantics / The best people in life are free

Now THERE is a lyrical phrase I can wholeheartedly get behind and support.  I love seeing people shed their shackles and move into a highter state of living.  Dancing, taking a chance, and putting yourself out there is part of.  Amy Blunt's "Ruthie Drapper" from "Dan in Real Life" is a shinning expample of being free and taking chances.  For a minor character, with limited screen time Ruthie's story really shines.  Her she is a sucessfull surgeon, and yet in past people who knew he joked that she was Ruthie "pig-face" Drapper.  Extreamly cruel.  And yet Emily Blunt's character wanted romance so took a chance and got sexy in chooiing Inya Day's "Nasty Girl" to dance to and try to get a phyiscal romance brewing with Steve Carrell's "Dan" character.  Okay, forget the whole Marie (Julliette Binoche) chacter play here.  Because what I want to you to focus on is Ruthie's story, because there's something there that I don't want you to miss.  

Ruthie Draper took a chance.  She put herself out there and TRIED to change a guy's perspespective of her.  How cool is that?  That the spirit of being a "new romantic" in my book.  Love it.  Absolutely love.  It's stuff like that where you see women's need for love and their attempts at trying to get it that is one biggest sources of attraction that kept me interested in the romantic comedy genre for so long.

We show off our different scarlet letters / Trust me mine is better

You may or may not believe me, but I actually don't like talking about my romantic failures.  I know I've done that here on my blog, from time to time.  But I'm not proud of my mistakes.  I just hope I het the chance to meet the "right girl" so I can have experience, than just being left with the hollow feeing of a guy who a shot with some pretty cool girls, but I blew it somethere along the way.  Yes, almoast invarriably I blame myself for my romantic failure.  And it hurts me that along the way I mistreated some real princesses that I should have treated as such.  

So in closing, thank you Taylor Swift I really enjoyed your song, "The New Romantics".  You never cease to amaze me, and I hope that wherever you are in life that your are happy.  The new romantics can just be Taylor Swift and her clique of friends, OR as I hope it to be it all of out there whose beats red with romance and interest in the opposite sex.

P.S. The writing retreat to Long Beach went pretty well.  Definatly better than past trips down there.  Will probably post more about this later in the week.  Till then, stay well and keep tuning and coming back here.