Art
Beat
ADVENTURES
IN SCREENWRITING
When
humbly recommending a film by a friend and former colleague,
it’s probably best to start with a few quotes from unbiased
observers.
“Relentlessly
entertaining!” said New York magazine.
“Required
viewing,” said The Onion AV Club.
“The
best film about writing I’ve ever seen,” according to Film
Threat’s Chris Gore.
And now, the most important verdict of all, from one of the
most respected critics in the business: “A lively collection
of war stories from a host of screenwriters with experience
in the trenches,” wrote Variety’s Todd McCarthy.
The film in question is the First Run Features release Tales
From the Script, a documentary by Peter Hanson.
Yes, that Peter Hanson: documentary and fiction filmmaker;
screenwriter; author of scholarly studies of blacklisted screenwriter
Dalton Trumbo, and the indie directors of 1980s and ’90s;
and ex-Metroland Arts Editor. (He also wrote for the
Times Union and the late, unlamented alt-paper The
Source.)
Hanson left the gray Northeast for sunny California years
ago to pursue a filmmaking career; this is his latest success.
He will be in town on Wednesday evening (March 17 at 6:30
PM) for a screening of Tales From the Script at the
Spectrum 8 Theatres (290 Delaware Ave., Albany).
Screenwriting is a notoriously miserable occupation; it’s
all about rejection. And for this documentary, he obtained
choice interviews with some of the most successful Hollywood
scribes on their difficulties. These include William Goldman
(The Princess Bride), Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver),
Allison Anders (Gas Food Lodging), David S. Ward (The
Sting), Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption),
Bruce Joel Rubin (Ghost) and Ron Shelton (all those
entertaining sports movies). He even got an interview with
director, screenwriter and ex-Bob Hope gagman Melvin Shavelson
the day before Mr. Shavelson passed on.
Hanson edited down over 60 hours of footage into Tales
From the Script. You’ll have to wait for the DVD (coming
soon) for the extras, but you can see the best of the interviews
on Wednesday.
—Shawn
Stone
sstone@metroland.net
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