Revealing the story... & why I love Ryan Reynolds

I finally got around to seeing one movie that I've been dying to see, Buried. I'm a big Ryan Reynolds fan, but that's not the point. I really wanted to see this based on the premise. It's about a guy that's been kidnapped over in Iraq and held for ransom. Okay, so that's not that different? But, the entire movie takes place in a coffin. For 90 minutes all you see is the things that are happening to Reynolds. He has a phone, alcohol, lighter, numerous (coloured) torches, knife and pens.

A movie that's only got one visual actor (the rest are voices over the phone), it needs to be able to tell the story some way and I absolutely loved Chris Sparling's script. So, what does this have to do with how the story's revealed? Even though movies are pretty much all show because they're up on the screen and you're watching the action unfold, it's still the fact that he's stuck in a coffin, so the viewer needs to find out what's happened and all the background story over the phone.

This movie is a great example of how to do small snippets of backstory in the dialogue without seeming like exposition.

As writers, we have an entire backstory created for the character that we really can't just put in big blocks of writing. So, how do you choose how to reveal that story?

1. Reveal snippets in dialogue
   This is the easiest way, as long as it flows naturally and doesn't seem like the character is just talking about their life because it's needs to be said.
2. Flashbacks
   The easiest way would be to go back to the part of history that you need to describe of the character.
3. Memories from items
   Characters could find an item, diary or even a place that might bring out that memory. Still this needs to show the relevance to the story that you're creating.
4. Is it important?Before you actually tell the reader of the backstory, you must decide whether it's actually important. Will the reader gain a better understanding of the character or their motivations? Does it reveal a hint about the ending? Or is it just a fascinating tidbit that you love? The last question probably means that you don't need to tell the reader of it.

So, how do you choose what backstory to include in your stories and how do you reveal them? Also, what was the last movie you saw?

Can adaptations live up to the book?

I'm sure I'm not alone with this, but where I read I get a clear picture when I read a book, so when a movie comes out I've already got some idea of what it should be like. I do try to see the adaptation with different eyes because I know that it's being shown on a different medium and some things written in words cannot be shown on the screen.

There have been some that I loved, but I admit I haven't read the books yet. I just saw Red Riding Hood and thought that was done very well, so I'll have to go out and get the book to see whether the movie still lives up to the book.

What can they do to adaptations to change them from the books (this can be for the good or for the bad... mostly the bad)?

1. "Watered down" the action
   I have seen this happen. The content in the book is deemed too violent for the audience so they either eliminate it or change it so that the "children" will be able to watch it... even though they are the ones reading it.
2. Change the endingWhen a book ends one way I expect the movie to also end that way, but there are some movies that just change the ending so that it's not as "sad".
3. Cutting crucial subplotsI know movies have to tell the story of the book within 1.5-2 hours, but sometimes the subplots that they cut I feel are crucial to the story or, when cut, will change the motivations/sympathies of the main character.
4.  Cutting charactersOkay, once again I know that they have to tell the story within a certain time frame, but sometimes the characters that they cut are the characters that add a bit more interest/humour to the story. Or I just love them and can't believe they've been cut.

So, do you like adaptations or just prefer to stick with the books. Have you seen any that lives up to the book? And, what don't you like to be seen in the adaptation?

Allow Me to Geek out for a bit...

Tonight I was lucky enough to score tickets to a sneak preview of the new Tron movie (it was mean of them to show us 25 minutes and leave us dangling until the movie opens 16th December).

For those that don't know, here's the trailers for the original 1982 movie and the movie that's coming out this year (have a look at how much the technology has improved in the 2 decades since the first movie.

So, what's coming out that you're eagerly anticipating?

P.S. I got myself a new job, so now I'm not going to be sitting around procrastinating all day like I have been.