The end of an era.

I sat in line three times longer than the movie lasted.

It is finished.

Unless lightning strikes or JK Rowling has a change of heart or muse, there will be no more Harry Potter anticipation.

I wish I could say I liked the movie better, but it is what it is, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

It has been a hell of a ride.

Live in peace, Severus Snape. I know you wouldn’t get caught without the proper potions to survive that snakebite. Not our potions master.

Somewhere, Snape lives.

Save the Cat, anyone?

So, I have written about Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need before.

And I have probably mentioned Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies: The Screenwriter’s Guide to Every Story Ever Told, as well, since I believe you need both these books to approach plot and structure the Snyder way, and frankly, this is the best approach I have ever found. [YMMV, etc.] (I don’t know how I missed Save the Cat! Strikes Back: More Trouble for Screenwriters to Get into … and Out of, and why it’s already out of print, or at least not available from Amazon, but at least it’s shipped by Amazon so I can use my Amazon Prime, erm, I digress. Ahem. But if you have that book, let me know what it’s about and what you think, though I’m probably about to order it. And isn’t it amazing how the last book you’ll ever need on screenwriting still was followed by more books? Is anybody surprised? But, if the third is anything like the first, it’s well worth the money and I am wondering if there will be any more, since Blake Snyder is no longer with us, may he R.I.P.)

I’m curious about those of you who also have used STC. I’m really curious how many of you were beginning writers and how many brought a certain amount of knowledge of story with you as you began reading the book. I’m curious about your experiences with STC, successful and unsuccessful.

I’m considering using it more heavily in my writing classes, and want to get a bigger picture of how people respond to it.

For my own part, even though I already understood 3-act structure and had published five novels and won a couple of screenwriting competitions before I picked up STC, the scene cards, sceneboard and genre breakdowns from STC gave me a set of tools that opened up plotting to me in a way that for the first time truly helped me do it. Not understand it on a broad, general level. But actually take my own ideas and arrange them, and understand how they should fit together to achieve what I wanted.

Perhaps I also bring a lot of confidence to the process and I know when to ignore something and when to use something, when words in a book are helping me get closer to my vision and when they aren’t.

Think that’s it?

Tell me. Let’s talk about saving that darned cat.

BTW, if you’re doing nanowrimo this November? This might be a good time to whip out STC and start plotting that novel. It would be an excellent way to map it out in detail so you can dive in and start writing.

Marvel does Austen.

I now have the original and the miniseries, Bridget Jones’s Diary and DVD , the Bollywood version, and even Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

How could I not get the graphic novel?

No joke. Pride and Prejudice, the graphic novel, rocks. The images are tres cool, and it’s just fun. Hardcover, pretty, fun. I’m kind of in love with it.

What’s not to love?

This might make one think I have an obsession.

One would be wrong.

Well, I didn’t think I did.

Ahem.

I might be wrong.

Entertainment Weekly’s top movies of the last 25 years.

Entertainment Weekly’s list of the top movies of the last 25 years.

Bold the ones you have seen.
Put an asterisk after the movie title* if you really liked it.
Cross it out if you saw a film and really disliked it.
Underline the ones you own.

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)*
2. The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-03)*
3. Titanic (1997)*
4. Blue Velvet (1986)*
5. Toy Story (1995)
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998)*
7. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)*
8. The Silence of the Lambs (1991) *
9. Die Hard (1988)*
10. Moulin Rouge (2001) *
11. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
12. The Matrix (1999)
13. GoodFellas (1990)
14. Crumb (1995)
15. Edward Scissorhands (1990)*
16. Boogie Nights (1997)
17. Jerry Maguire (1996) *
18. Do the Right Thing (1989)*
19. Casino Royale (2006)
20. The Lion King (1994)
21. Schindler’s List (1993)*
22. Rushmore (1998)
23. Memento (2001)*
24. A Room With a View (1986)
25. Shrek (2001)*
26. Hoop Dreams (1994)*
27. Aliens (1986)
28. Wings of Desire (1988)
29. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)*
30. When Harry Met Sally (1989)*
31. Brokeback Mountain (2005)*
32. Fight Club (1999)*
33. The Breakfast Club (1985)*
34. Fargo (1996)*
35. The Incredibles (2004)
36. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
37. Pretty Woman (1990) *
38. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)*
39. The Sixth Sense (1999)*
40. Speed (1994) *
41. Dazed and Confused (1993)*
42. Clueless (1995) *
43. Gladiator (2000)
44. The Player (1992)*
45. Rain Man (1988) *
46. Children of Men (2006)
47. Men in Black (1997)*
48. Scarface (1983)
49. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
50. The Piano (1993)*
51. There Will Be Blood (2007)
52. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad (1988)*
53. The Truman Show (1998)
54. Fatal Attraction (1987)*
55. Risky Business (1983)*
56. The Lives of Others (2006)
57. There’s Something About Mary (1998)
58. Ghostbusters (1984) *
59. L.A. Confidential (1997)*
60. Scream (1996)
61. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)*
62. sex, lies and videotape (1989)*
63. Big (1988)*
64. No Country For Old Men (2007)
65. Dirty Dancing (1987)*
66. Natural Born Killers (1994)
67. Donnie Brasco (1997)
68. Witness (1985) *
69. All About My Mother (1999)
70. Broadcast News (1987)*
71. Unforgiven (1992)*
72. Thelma & Louise (1991)*
73. Office Space (1999)
74. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
75. Out of Africa (1985)*
76. The Departed (2006)
77. Sid and Nancy (1986)
78. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)*
79. Waiting for Guffman (1996)*
80. Michael Clayton (2007)
81. Moonstruck (1987) *
82. Lost in Translation (2003)*
83. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987) *
84. Sideways (2004)
85. The 40 Year-Old Virgin (2005)*
86. Y Tu Mamá También (2002)
87. Swingers (1996)
88. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
89. Breaking the Waves (1996)
90. Napoleon Dynamite (2004) *
91. Back to the Future (1985) *
92. Menace II Society (1993)
93. Ed Wood (1994) *
94. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
95. In the Mood for Love (2001)
96. Far From Heaven (2002)
97. Glory (1989)*
98. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
99. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
100. South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)*

I’m not sure what my choices say about me.  I do think the fact that I’ve seen quite a few means I’m pretty mainstream in my tastes, though.

“Well, observe me if you will–“

“I’m Professor Harold Hill.”

Which means it must be the Fourth of July on planetpooks.

Said it before and will say it again, the perfect July 4th for me is The Music Man, 1776 and Independence Day.

Happy 4th!