GREETINGS & SALUTATIONS
In this edition:
Galactus is feeling peckish
Steve Carell is not feeling it in The Four Seasons
I’m still feeling hot
After a succession of mini-heatwaves, I’m looking to the future, i.e. Autumn and Winter, which will hopefully bring with them a better night’s sleep. Right now, it is a time of waiting for exam results, new beginnings on the horizon at secondary school and sixth form college, and the end of a fifteen-year-long journey through nursery/primary/junior school run! So, it’s an emotional time as my family enters a same-but-different phase.
Writing-wise, I’m nearing completion of the first episode of the long-gestating The Self-Preservation Society. It is an idea which features a community of characters, so I spent some time structurally assessing the pilot episode of (probably) the best TV drama ever, The Wire. I charted how they introduced characters, what happened in each scene, how the creators established the themes, and set up parallel storylines. It was a useful bit of homework - to really pick apart an episode of good drama and study how it all hangs together; how the writers distributed focus from one story strand to another. So far, The Self-Preservation Society is coming across as a mix of the small village mindset of Hot Fuzz combined with the character studies of White Lotus, all set against the backdrop of a pandemic. A couple on the brink of divorce find themselves trapped in their village, cut off from the rest of the world… but can they survive their neighbours and each other?
Once this script is finished, I need to plan out three screenplays, as I’m embarking on a mammoth task over the next three months for Scribe Lounge’s THREE IN THREE; the idea being a group of writers absolutely gun it for three months, completing three scripts during that time. I’ve no idea if it is achievable, but I’m going for it!
In other news, I had some great feedback on my doppelganger screenplay, VERSES!
"… instantly engaging… you could really imagine it translating to the screen. It was unexpected but with a hint of “of course” realisation. Very Lynchian, with shades of Aronofsky… Those little beats… brilliant. And I’m not using that word lightly."
I’ll take that, thank you very much!
JUST ONE MORE THING…
Centre Frame recently ran a Zoom session discussing CONCLAVE with its writer, Peter Straughan. There was a lot of great insight on how the story was adapted via dissecting the screenplay, and how it was brought to the screen. Next up is ANORA, which I believe is happening towards the end of August. Definitely worth checking out.
CINEMA
FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS
This is an unusual superhero film in the sense that it isn’t an origin story: It just takes it for granted that we’re familiar with The Fantastic Four (well, they have been around for a while, and there have been three previous incarnations). After an elongated montage sequence explaining how they received their powers and what their gifts are, the story casually kicks off with Sue Storm getting pregnant just as the Silver Surfer shows up to inform the world that big bad space God Galactus has his eyes (and tummy) set on a light snack in the shape of planet Earth.
The rest of the film is the Four’s quest to figure out how to solve this problem, which is fairly gripping, with some nice “all is lost” moments. The cast feels like the best version of the F4 we’ve had so far, especially Vanessa Kirby, who proves to be the heart of the film. While Ben Grimm looks great, he feels a little underserved in the “having stuff to do” stakes, which is a shame. He deserved more than a bit of banter and clobbering.
F4 doesn’t rely on the usual Marvel cameos - in fact, there aren’t any other superheroes in their world (apart from a post-credits bit). Whereas group efforts like The Avengers of Thunderbolts rely on the contrasting dynamics of the characters, the F4 are a TEAM. They all work together, rather than pulling in different directions, which makes a change for a superhero movie. Of course, they have their moments of tension, but the film is a vibe about unity and family: There’s no brashness or moody, brooding stuff, which is admirable.
There are immediate comparisons to The Incredibles, so much so that it’s difficult to know who is copying who (I suspect Pixar owe a debt to Marvel?). It looks great, it has a glossy sixties sheen, great enemies in the forms of Ralph Ineson’s Galactus and Julia Garner’s Silver Surfer - all nicely realised, but it does lack a deeper connection to the characters, other than the dilemmas dictated by the storyline. Then again, its zippy, retro-cartoony-ness is the appeal here.
VERDICT: Stylish, likeable, well-cast, slightly lacking in character investment.
TELEVISION
THE FOUR SEASONS
A remake of Alan Alda’s film of the same name, The Four Seasons is a character study set over - what else? - four seasons (in 8 x 30 min episodes).
Three couples get together, holidaying at various locations or getting together for different events. All is well until one of the couples splits up, and the dynamic of the group is rocked.
It is an easy-going, bingeable series with an excellent cast at the top of their game, and a fresh alternative to the heavier-going White Lotus. It’s one of those nice surprises which feels like a treat to watch. Can’t recommend it enough.
Available on Netflix.
VERDICT: Classy, charismatic, relatable - and funny.
READING
I LOVE YOU, BYEEE by Adam Buxton
Having recently devoured Buxton’s previous book, Ramble Book, I was really looking forward to this. It is written in the same affable style, this time focusing on his relationship with his mother (Ramble Book was a coming-of-age/exploration of Buxton’s relationship with his father).
Ramble Book felt more structured and, dare I say it, interesting, as it charted Buxton’s growth as a person and his relationship with his Dad, who was a curious person, to say the least. There’s a feeling that there’s less to say about his mother - probably because she was more grounded and “normal”, and while Buxton is candid about his own failings and the precarious state of some of his working friendships, there is a whiff of re-treading some of what was covered in his previous release. But it is an amusing, easy-going and, at times, emotional read. If you’re a fan of Buxton, then this is a must-read, and it is a nice companion piece to Ramble Book.
VERDICT: Amusing, likeable, if less self-assured.
ON ROTATION
To give you a flavour of what you’re in for, here’s the playlist for my latest effort, The Self-Preservation Society. Enjoy!
If you enjoyed Short People, please spread the word!