Get Connected with Scriptapalooza

by Kyle Rupprecht | Published Feb. 3, 2012

Now in its 14th year, Scriptapalooza remains unlike any other screenplay competition. When you submit your script to Scriptapalooza, it will be read by the elite of the film industry: Over 90 producers, managers and agents, with judges coming from such notable production companies as Lawrence Bender Productions (Good Will Hunting, An Inconvenient Truth), Ambush Entertainment (The Squid and the Whale, Super) and BenderSpink (A History of Violence, Arthur). These are the companies with the magic touch to turn your dream into a feature film. (No comments yet)

Dani Faith Leonard Helps Writers With Big Visions But Empty Wallets

by Samantha Husik

Dani Faith Leonard and Alex Cirillo know how important it is for independent artists to have a sense of community. To that end, the two moviemakers created Big Vision Empty Wallet, an organization that gives artists the chance to network and share their talents.

Steven Arvanites, NYCscreenwriter

by Samantha Husik

Screenwriting can be a time-consuming and creatively exhausting process. When writers have trouble getting motivated or can't get over their writer's block, it is helpful to have fellow screenwriters to whom you can turn; you know, people who have experienced the same demands of the creative process. At NYCscreenwriter.org, New York-based scribes will find a group of fellow writers who are eager to share their experiences (and their work) and learn more about their craft.

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Where the Wild Things Are: The Best Man vs. Nature Movies

by Kyle Rupprecht
It's like a bad nightmare: Being stranded in the wild with scant resources and no guarantee of survival, your very existence hanging in the balance. What can you eat? How do you make it out alive? How do you manage to hang on to your humanity? This harrowing scenario has provided grist for many movies over the years. The latest of these is The Grey, in which Liam Neeson plays a man stranded in the Alaskan wilderness and hunted by a pack of hungry wolves. With the film hitting theaters today, it seems a perfect time to take a look back at some of the most thrilling man vs. nature movies from the past 40 years. (No comments yet)

Re-Vamping: Ten Unique Takes on Vampire Mythology

by Kyle Rupprecht
It’s pretty much impossible to escape vampires these days. The Twilight movies are as insanely popular as ever, the HBO series “True Blood” has a large and dedicated fanbase and Justin Cronin’s best-selling novel The Passage looks poised to kick off the next must-read vampire series. The newest piece of vampire pop culture to sink its teeth into movie audiences’ necks is Underworld: Awakening, out in theaters today. With so many blood-suckers baring their fangs, vampires have started to feel a bit tired and clichéd. But never fear, MM is here to save the day. We’ve come up with a selection of ten films that put wonderfully original spins on vampire mythology. (No comments yet)

The World's Weirdest Shakespeare Adaptations

by Rebecca Pahle
In Coriolanus, out in theaters tomorrow, director and star Ralph Fiennes brings to the screen one of Shakespeare's least-adapted plays. Replete as it is with guns, tanks and army fatigues, Fiennes' directorial debut is a decidedly modern take on a story that was originally set in pre-Imperial Rome. Still, even with all its modern accoutrements, Coriolanus is actually fairly traditional adaptation of the Bard's work... at least compared to some of the more off-the-wall approaches that other directors have taken in years past. (No comments yet)

Exploring the Mystery of Creativity with Old School New School

by Steven Fischer
My documentary Old School New School explores the nature of creativity, all within the context of storytelling through various crafts, including acting, cinematography, music, theater, dance and poetry. The film is an extension of many conversations I’ve had over the years with my artist friends. We’d meet in a café to talk about life, art and philosophy. They were stimulating discussions that ultimately segued to the obligatory question all serious artists eventually examine: How can we, as creative people, grow in the direction we want to grow? (No comments yet)

The Artist Comes Out on Top at the Golden Globes

by Rebecca Pahle
At last night's Golden Globes, it was Oscar frontrunner The Artist that came out on top, winning three awards, including Best Picture—Comedy or Musical. Still, it's probably best to keep the film's name written in pencil on your Oscar ballot for now; though it was one of only two films to win multiple awards, the winner in the Best Picture—Drama category (this year, The Descendants) historically has a better chance at victory come Oscar night. Additionally, The Artist missed out in both the Best Screenplay and Best Director categories, in which Midnight in Paris and Hugo, respectively, walked away with the gold. (No comments yet)

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