newcritics - Latest Comments in Number 55,384 With A Bullet

Re: Number 55,384 With A Bullet

Ken Houghton — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:34:56 -0000

Sorry for the brain short-circuit; was thinking of the co-screenwriter of To Have and Have Not, of course.

Re: Number 55,384 With A Bullet

Ken Houghton — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 00:30:58 -0000

Pleasantville, home of Reader's Digest and neighboring town of the Clintons, is a fine place to be.

Writers also cannot protect their writing from editors, proofreaders, copyeditors, typesetters, designers, and cover artists (all of whom, it should be noted, also are professionals doing their job). It's why the co-screenwriter of Winter Carnival spoke of "creat[ing] out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before."

Not all inventions are used as they were originally intended. The creation is none the less.

Re: Number 55,384 With A Bullet

Claire Helene — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:13:57 -0000

I think (and I'm just guessing here), that making art of any sort and showing it to the public is hard enough. I can't imagine the agony of creating something only to have someone else mangle it. Because you're name is still on it, even if it no longer your vision. You've got to be a lot braver than me.

Re: Number 55,384 With A Bullet

blue girl — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:41:56 -0000

Well, I really want to see Steve's Film. I've never liked those old, stuffy, snotty, hoity toity critics and the way they can bash someone's hot fudge sundae.

About the things you learned, Steve...

Writers cannot protect their scripts from actors, directors, and producers who are all intent on making the movie their own.

When I learned that that was true (not that I have firsthand experience, just learned it from some interview or something some time with someone when I was in my late teens) I thought that was the *most* unfair thing to a writer ever. Still do.

The all grown up, jaded blue girl should say, Well, that's life. Not fair, ya know. That's the way it goes.

But, the idealistic blue girl says, What a total crock, *raspberries.*