THE LONGEST BLOCK: WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF IDEAS

Why can't Hollywood come up with any new ideas?

You've probably asked yourself this question at least once a month in this day and age, after hearing about the umpteenth remake, reboot, or (god forbid) a "reimagining" of a well-known property.

Even this movie shouldn't be remade.

(Well okay, maybe if it was from the camel's perspective...)

In short, I can answer that question succinctly from the writer's point of view:

Because it's actually really, really, fucking hard.

Blocks can happen for a number of reasons, but if you're in any way a perfectionist like me, here are a few reasons to pinpoint or look out for, in hopes of assessing your current, script-free situation.

THE NEED FOR ORIGINALITY

It's easy to see from a studio's point of view how a beloved property they own will be a safer bet than even a smaller-budgeted film with an "untested" idea. From the writer's perspective, maybe you've spent all of one inspiration on your last project and have ran out of other ideas. Inspiration has yet to strike for you, and you might wish intensely to come up with something, anything, that will move you and feed your soul like your previous script did so well. Something that's so different than what others are doing that you feel you have to bring it into this world.

THE NEED TO FEEL ORGANIC

Audiences will know when they're being pandered to, as nowadays in the internet age, they've learned to think more critically than ever, and not just to decide where to spend their hard-earned money (and whether seeing it in 3D is worth it). They're burnt out on remakes, because they know many of these beloved franchises, thanks to the passage of time, have become "obligated" to stick to formula, and that to stray from it would provoke intense backlash. 

As a writer, you might have an idea for an original setting, character archetypes, soundtrack, and maybe a few plot points, but without the "something" to say or the emotional core to tie them together, they don't make for a film proper. You have yet to find your "verve" to run through these other ideas or images.

YOU HAVE TROUBLE LETTING GO OF YOUR LAST ONE

You might love your previous script so much, that you don't want to leave the world you've created, as it might have so much of yourself in it that it's become a personal refuge. While there's nothing wrong with always fine-tuning your older work, it might keep you from expanding your horizons further in search of new ideas. It can even hurt a little to let it go for a while, but it will still be there when you get back to it.

THE BEST YOU CAN DO IN THE MOMENT

There are no easy answers to this situation, but you can try and do some things to continuously take in new inspirations, without forcing your creativity.

• Go about your normal, daily life. Even the little things to keep your brain engaged can make a vast difference.
• Watch some new movies, even those you wouldn't normally watch or pay attention to if you had been working on your previous project(s).
• Listen to new music, which, often unlike film, can spur your brain to evoke new images, moods, and atmospheres to go along with it.
• Go to new places. Not even vacations, but even a new store, a part of town, or a neighborhood.
• Read new articles or watch new videos on writing, since they often present examples to get their audience to think about how they'd handle them differently. These examples could spring back to mind if you're later working on a script with similar plot points.
• Seek out some writing prompts. Write down the ones that catch your eye, and save them in a notebook for later use if you can't answer them right away.
• Read some writing guides, like Pixar's "22 Rules of Storytelling", to try and develop the "sprouts" of ideas you might already have. Even there, of course, it's best to not try and force your creativity.
• Do what you can to relax, and get your mind off of writing long enough to let it unwind. Catch up on your sleep, since you probably severely need it.

The key within all of these ideas (and others you may have) is to not stress out. Even if you spent days writing your previous script nonstop, just bolted by your story and what you want to create, you cannot do that now without inspiration, a story, your "core", your originality, your natural story progressions, or your "colors", among other things.

No pun intended.

And lastly, you should be optimistic that your story and inspiration will strike, because for one, it has done so before, and secondly, you will know when it happens.

"Ehh, works for me."

Copyright © Chynna Moore

DOING "THE TWIST"

Er, retroactive spoiler alert?

I've written in the past about the role of subverting expectations and how doing so requires the writer to know said expectations first. But when it comes to executing a plot twist, such a device has the power to make or break your entire story and how your audience comes away from it.

So here are some important reminders when doing your plot twist...

KNOW (AND ESTABLISH) THE EXPECTATIONS

What are the genre expectations of your script? Character expectations (through archetypes)? Cliches? Have expectations changed? Have they changed through other films? Other twists?

Do you want to subvert the expectation? Avert it entirely? Go in a new direction without alienating the viewer? Contrast is a good "cheat" here, whether it's to drive your script or your characters into a new, unique direction for the genre. Chances are, you know the expectations already and want to write your script to put your own spin on it.

In terms of establishing said expectations within the internal logic of your script, this doesn't have to be done bluntly or with force. Perhaps a character implies the expectations you plan to twist on, subtly "conditioning" your audience, or you could do it in a similar fashion through dialogue or visual associations and cinematic shorthand. Let the format of film be your friend.

DECIDE YOUR TWIST (AND HOW IT PLAYS INTO YOUR THEMES)

The first and best example of the ironically-used "sin of Envy".

Again, contrast is an easy way to brainstorm possibilities for your twist, to "turn things on their heads", as it will. Another "cheat" is through updating if you're writing an adaptation. Say you subtly "influence" your audience that a character is a more old-fashioned archetype, only for your twist to be that said character is actually more progressive or transgressive than the source material could ever conceive of.

What will your twist mean thematically? Does it serve as the "other side of the coin" to another theme or character? Is it an added contrast? A "monkey wrench" thrown into the rules of the genre? Will your twist serve to reinforce your story's message or show it in a unique way? There are, of course, a million ways to go about this, but you'll know when you've found your twist if it deepens even your understanding of what you want to write. Themes typically "just happen", after all, and similarly, like other great ideas, a good twist can sometimes just "click" into place.

GIVE AMPLE (BUT AMBIGUOUS) FORESHADOWING

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a film that does a fine job in setting up what the audience thinks will happen. Throughout the first two acts, the abusive home and horrid treatment of Modesty Barebone by strangers, coupled with her reactions, body language, and closeness with her shy adoptive brother Credence, suggests that she is the source of the highly destructive Obscurus power.

Indeed, all "signs" point to her without being too obvious, over-the-top, cliched, or "told". If she were indeed the Obscurial, it would be hard to blame her for being so angry.

Even right up to the last second, when she hides in fear after Mary Lou Barebone's killing, it could easily go the way that's been suggested. But...

Credence, having finally unleashed his Obscurus on Mary Lou after doing so to various places in NYC, is at his angriest and most terrifying, frightening even the adoptive sister he was so close to.

Fantastic Beasts' has a twist that works thanks to the acting, direction, and writing working hard for Modesty and Credence's "signs" to be seen as "going either way". Introducing a twist completely out of nowhere without any rhyme, reason, support, or natural behavior from the characters can be frustrating to the audience, if not downright infuriating.

For your clues, it's a matter of writing, "testing", and thinking over just how much information to include and how much to leave out. In a sensitive medium such as screenwriting, the difference could be as little as a single word and how it is said.

HAVE IT MAKE SENSE

"Luke's father is Chewbacca!"

A good twist should follow the logic and "rules" of your story up until that point to serve as a satisfying payoff for your audience. They're the ones who have taken in the clues, the "breadcrumbs" you've left for them throughout the story. To botch this process could easily leave said audience feeling shortchanged.

Any script or film serves as "audience manipulation" to an extent, but it's imperative not to abuse this power, or the trust the (non-hate watching) audience puts into your story. Mere shock simply can't compare to a twist with shock, internal logic, careful execution of the clues, and an ability for the audience to enjoy the effects of it on the story the more they think about it, the "rule of ramifications" and whatnot.

In short, a good twist should make logical sense in-universe, and enhance your story out of it. For your audience, this effect can spur them to go back and try and make a game out of spotting all the "breadcrumbs" you wove into your script. Which brings us to...

THE REWATCH FACTOR

After you've executed your clues, your twist, your themes tied to it, and the rest of your script's "skeleton", a fun part will be adding not only more clues (if you feel you haven't given enough information or need to refine it), but also some other "touches" and details that take on a whole new meaning with your twist in mind.

For example.

This is certainly true if you're writing a comedy. Comedy depends highly on context and irony, two factors that your twist will "gobble up" in the best way. Jokes can serve as momentary humor to a first-time viewer, while being retroactive foreshadowing for a rewatcher.

In any case, a good twist should deepen the audience's understanding (and enjoyment) of your story, and hopefully make it better for them the next time they experience it.

TIDBITS AND SUCH

Just Write, The Closer Look, and Now You See It have excellent videos on writing and executing a great plot twist.

Of course, I can't vouch for a twist if it's revealed to you this way.

Copyright © Chynna Moore

A VIEW TO A KILL (1985)

A View to a Kill, while not regaining much critical standing, has gained an increased fan appreciation in the years since. With some aspects taken for granted (but still done well) back then that have seen some rough years since, it's unsurprising why many Bond fans have gone back to this one, with its "devil you know" factor written all over it.

Roger Moore as James Bond

Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton

Christopher Walken as Max Zorin

Grace Jones as May Day

Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett

David Yip as CIA Agent Chuck Lee

Willoughby Gray as Dr. Carl Mortner

Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine

Robert Brown as M

Desmond Llewelyn as Q

Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny

Geoffrey Keen as Frederick Gray

Walter Gotell as General Gogol

Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova

Back when I was making my initial strides in gaining Bond series knowledge in the 2000s, I had never even heard of AVTAK, until seeing a 1986 People magazine ad about its (likely cable) release.

Since that time, however, the film has gained an almost cult status (probably chiefly) for its villains and their iconic, memetic status in pop culture.

Turns out, I had been seriously missing out on some memorable villains.

I had seen AVTAK a couple times before now, but the signs of age and "being hip with them 80s kids" were apparent even the first time I saw it, with one Uncanny Valley example sticking out the most.

The Naked Face (1984)

A View to a Kill (1985)

This, combined with the increasingly younger Bond Girls and noticeably older mooks (and noticeable stunt doubles period), pitches AVTAK at a heightened cartoon reality that's slightly off on virtually all fronts, with the things not falling victim to it (the score, Glen's direction, etc.) just making the weirder aspects even more apparent.

You know your Bond film is trying way too hard when John Barry's

score switches to a lame cover version of "California Girls".

AVTAK is best described as two tenuously linked, disparate halves: The calmer, "Point A to Point B" first half (with filler horse doping subplot), followed by the second half that everyone remembers.

Even Max Zorin is pretty nonchalant in the first half, quickly figuring out 

who Bond is and wasting little time trying to get rid of him permanently.

So it should also be no surprise that the two opposing undercurrents running through the whole film is Bond's advancing age and Zorin's batshit-insanity, both of which keep it from being completely forgettable, if not always for the right reasons.

For audiences in 1985, Moore's new face and the age of Kimberley

Jones (Mary Stavin) likely set them up for the many examples 

of cringe that were to follow.

80s or not, those outfits are... something.

Old Bond, old mooks. It's only fair.

Nope!

(Though what follows is another memorable scene, for better or for worse...)

While I can see how Moore wasn't fond of this scene, if any

Bond villain would do this, it's totally Max Zorin.

But from a writer's point of view, the underlying irony of AVTAK is that the script is largely not the problem. Sure, it takes several plot points from Goldfinger, features a villain plan with a terrible flaw (more on that later), pads itself out with the horse subplot, and has more than a few stupid moments (as loud as that explosion is, how does Stacey not hear the big-ass blimp behind her?), but I can't say it's much worse than its immediate predecessors. But keeping the lead (who was then pushing sixty) was unfortunately an overall mistake.

If Moore was still playing Bond, the script would have been far better with two small changes. A) Acknowledge Bond's age and how it affects his work, and B) Pair him with women older than 35 at the least. 

Bond tucking Stacey in after dispatching Zorin's goons is one of

the better scenes in the film, with none of the cringe in sight.

But that was not the approach the producers (nor likely the audience) wanted in 1985, so what we got is an unintentional "generation gap" where the leads are mostly over 50 and the villains represent the "MTV Generation".

Though this would have made an excellent NBC sitcom

following The Golden Girls.

Another example of something making less sense in context than out of it.

With Christopher Walken's legendary status since solidified and Grace Jones' trailblazing career better appreciated, giving them the roles of the villains and not reining in their performances was arguably the best decision AVTAK ever made. They're the reasons people come back to it, and will keep coming back to it for years to come.

And that is how you shock even Max Zorin.

I love how even Zorin can laugh at the absurdity of his impending demise.

Believe it or not, I never had a huge problem with Stacey Sutton, if only because the writing doesn't have her do anything extremely unbelievable as a geologist (glammed-up as she is, it was the 80s workforce), realistically showing her as an office worker day-to-day, and having her successfully subdue several mooks with her shotgun and later knock out Scarpine on the blimp.

A rock salt-loaded shotgun is both badass and kind of genius.

Well, okay, there was one thing that irritated me even on first viewing...

He will so not leave you, Stacey! Shut up!

I guess after being nearly burned alive, attacking the villains will look less scary by comparison.

Helping the film's first half is Moore and Macnee's chemistry, where Bond is a total jerk to Tibbett to keep up the charade to Zorin and his men. They're so funny, that it really stinks when May Day kills Tibbett later.

Seriously, we needed these two in an Avengers/Persuaders spinoff.

THE STUFF OF STUNTS (AND STUNTMEN)

AVTAK is yet another example of excellent stunt work in the Bond series, and while visible stunt doubles have since become a running gag in making fun of this film, that's not to overshadow the great work by professionals such as B.J. Worth (performing the Eiffel Tower parachute jump below).

I will say, though, that with this many visible stunt doubles for Bond, it's no wonder May Day couldn't recognize him!

OTHER OBSERVATIONS

Due to Moore's age, Walken dances circles around him

in the double entendre department.

Roger Moore doing an American accent = Classic.

Punched out by a jump cut! My one weakness!

Achille Aubergine (Jean Rougerie), a Poirot expy who's only in

the film to deliver exposition and get killed, in that order.

(Not to mention, he's distractingly ADR'd the whole time.)

This taxi driver's blustering reaction though.

There's something hilarious about Bond being grabbed by the chefs, of all people.

Dolph Lundgren (Jones' boyfriend at the time) as Gogol's KGB agent Venz.

While these jackets were "in" at the time, looking at it now,

Bond just looks older than he already is.

Real Men Bake Quiche

Kitteh!

While the use of San Francisco City Hall is great, I'm still a bit

disconcerted from remembering what happened there less than a decade

prior, given what happens to Mr. Howe (Daniel Benzali) in this film.

Also, I'm guessing the filmmakers were on a bit of a time crunch,

seeing as Benzali's blood pack fails to burst when Howe is shot.

Zorin and May Day staying to make sure Bond drowns makes

them virtually the smartest Bond villains ever.

Roger Ebert famously pointed out that Zorin's plan to flood Silicon Valley

would decimate his customers, not his competitors.

(Also, where are Otisburg and Teschmacher Peaks?)

And the worst part is, Waiter Grover had nothing to do with it.

Oh hai, 80s token robot!

And Bond just leaves Moneypenny worried and crying about him

while he showers with Stacey. What a prick!

Trust me, I doubt anyone is going to get Zoran Ladicorbic Ltd.

confused with Christopher Walken anytime soon.

Nor will they confuse this dummy for Zorin, for that matter.

TIDBITS AND SUCH

After a few mediocre Bond scores, John Barry's penultimate effort redeems as he borrows a few elements from On Her Majesty's Secret Service and combines it with some serious 80s electric guitar for "Golden Gate Fight", a.k.a. this film's second-best-remembered music.

So how does AVTAK look now that my older eyes have seen it? Well, it's still loaded with problems, and it's certainly not a favorite, but it's so damn weird (and still competently made) that it's secured its place in pop culture as "weird even for Bond" and "The Walken One". And that's fine by me.

Copyright © Chynna Moore