I love movies because they’re such good indicators of what’s going on in the collective consciousness. We get to watch our deepest struggles, conflicts and concerns play out as literal projections on larger-than-life screens all over the world. And then we get to see where these stories take us as individuals – how they impact us, what they make us feel, where we stand in relationship to them. These are our Greek myths, our Gods and Goddesses, our means of contextualizing present day life through the code of storytelling. I write these Movie Notes as a way of synthesizing the meaning I take from movies – with the hope that it will both likewise touch something meaningful in you and also inspire you to get clear on how the stories on our screens impact you and your consciousness.
What do Real Housewives, Thelma & Louise and Terrence Malick Have in Common?
I was watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey the other week and I recognized the storytelling pattern that I used to teach my screenwriting students at Wesleyan University – It’s the same pattern you can find in mainstream commercial successes like Thelma & Louise……
“Cabaret,” dir: Bob Fosse, 1972
“Cabaret,” dir: Bob Fosse, 1972“Cabaret” is a sick, twisted joke of the bait-and-switch variety. The Master of Ceremonies welcomes you into the KitKat Club with a smile on his face and an invitation to leave your troubles behind. In this way, the cabaret is initially…
“I Never Sang for My Father,” dir: Gilbert Cates, 1970
“I Never Sang for My Father,” dir: Gilbert Cates, 1970 Middle-aged Gene Harrison desperately wants to receive his father’s love and for his father to receive his love.Gene stifles his rage because on some unconscious level he knows that letting his anger flow will…
Revenge, dir: Coralie Fargeat, 2018
Movie Notes: Revenge, dir: Coralie Fargeat, 2018 I love movies because they’re such good indicators of what’s going on in the collective consciousness. We get to watch our deepest struggles, conflicts and concerns play out as literal projections on larger-than-life screens all over the…