Up in the Air–Take 3

“Anything that comes to me from the Los Angeles zip code is subjected to a 99% skepticism test.” Walter Kirn author Up in the Air My third look at the film Up in the Air involves a closer look at the original writer of the book (Walter Kirn) that inspired director Jason Reitman to make [...]

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Up in the Air–Take 2

Two days ago I saw Jason Reitman’s film Up in the Air for a second time.  That’s just a well crafted film and obviously I’m not the only one who thinks so. On top of being named best screenplay by the National Board of Review & it picked up Best Screenplay from the Los Angles [...]

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Filmmaking Quote #7 (James Cameron)

“I rode a school bus for an hour each way… so I had two hours a day on the bus and I tried to read a book a day.“ James Cameron They should have a special room for James Cameron over at Box Office Mojo. Titantic, which he wrote and directed, sits atop every film [...]

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Dan O’Bannon 1946-2009

“Although I have only a small driblet of fame and fortune, it’s enough. My life has gone very well in all spheres except for my physical health.” Dan O’Bannon Screenwriter Dan O’Bannon died earlier this month after a 30 battle with Crohn’s disease. He’ll be most remembered in film history for writing Alien. O’Bannon was [...]

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From Dubuque to Hollywood

Today is show and tell at Screenwriting from Iowa and I brought one of my Christmas gifts—a signed picture of Mark Steines from Entertainment Tonight. It was given to me by an editor I work with, Josh McCabe, who did an internship with Entertainment Tonight over the summer. Having just mentioned that Jason Reitman’s new film [...]

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“Up in the Air” Over Iowa

“I just happen to find life funny. Everywhere I look I see comedy…often where it’s inappropriate. “ Jason Reitman Director Juno/Up in the Air After the success of Juno Jason Reitman’s had the clout to make a film like Avatar. A big budget extravaganza. Instead he made Up in the Air. A film that not [...]

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Working People in Movies

One things movies often lack is actually showing people working. I think there is a few reasons for this ranging from work is seen as uninteresting and writers lacking knowledge of work outside of writing. But it has been said that every job you’ve ever had should provide you with ample material for one book [...]

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Merry Christmas from Iowa (2009)

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. “ Charles Dickens “God bless us everyone.” Tiny Tim (A Christmas Carol) A Cedar Falls white Christmas day in the great tradition of Bedford Falls in It’s a Wonderful Life and Dickens’ London in A Christmas Carol. Merry Christmas. *Our [...]

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Dickens Still Kickin’

“Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.” Charles Dickens Charles Dickens has been dead for 139 years but that didn’t stop him from having a $132 million film this year. Dickens first wrote A Christmas Carol in just six weeks [...]

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On the Road Screenwriting

Following a couple posts of Jack Kerouac and touching on his book On the Road, I found an extended passage that connects writing with traveling. I was reading this into my iPhone so I tried to stay word for word but may be off a little. It comes from screenwriter Nicholas Meyer who was asked [...]

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