Studio Berezin Film

Two New Yorkers are accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college, and one of their cousins–an inexperienced, loudmouth lawyer not accustomed to Southern rules and manners–comes in to defend them. Netflix , IMDB Director: Jonathan Lynn STC Genre : Fool Triumphant (out of water) “Fool” – Vinny Gambini “Establishment” – the judicial system of Alabama represented by the Judge “Transmutation” – Vinny turns from a clueless idiot into a snappy and excellent defense lawyer Really, really, REALLY great classic film! And funny as hell. This is likely my first candidate to examine if I ever want to write a Fool Triumphant script.

Marty McFly, a typical American teenager of the Eighties, is accidentally sent back to 1955 in a plutonium-powered DeLorean “time machine” invented by slightly mad scientist. During his often hysterical, always amazing trip back in time, Marty must make certain his teenage parents-to-be meet and fall in love – so he can get back to the future. Netflix , IMDB Director: Robert Zemeckis STC Genre : Dude with a Problem (Domestic?) “Innocent Hero”  – Marty McFly “Sudden Event” – while fleeing from terrorists, he sends himself back to 1955. Oops… “Test of Survival” – in this case, literal. His very life is at stake because he prevented his parents from meeting. If he doesn’t fix it, he dies immediately. Really fabulously done movie. A classic that can be watched over and over again. It is meticulously well-structured, fast-paced, every detail appears for a reason, and all the loose ends are tied by the end. T...

Jason’s epic quest for the Golden Fleece. Netflix , IMDB Director: Don Chaffey STC Genre : Golden Fleece (Epic) – duh!… 🙂 “Road” – sailing to the other end of the world “Team” – the Argonauts, the best men of all Greece (at the time), including Hercules “Prize” – oh, the Golden Fleece of course! And the woman as a bonus. Why not? The story is obviously beautiful and very strong. How can it be not? But what is really amazing in this film is the technical level of production and acting. The stop-motion animation mixed with live action is simply fantastic, especially if you consider the time it was done. Great movie.

Lawyer Fletcher Reede’s (Jim Carrey) mendacious ways destroyed his marriage and alienated his son, Max (Justin Cooper). But when Max makes a birthday wish that magically comes true, Fletcher finds himself incapable of telling a lie for 24 hours. That’s great news for Max and his mom (Maura Tierney), but terrible timing for Fletcher, who’s due in court to try a major divorce case. Netflix , IMDB Director: Tom Shadyac STC Genre : Out of the Bottle (the magic kind) A “Wish” – daddy can’t lie for a day A “Spell” – the wish came true! Oops… A “Lesson” – telling the truth is so much better than lying OK, this one did it for me. I finally realized I HATE Jim Carrey’s performance. No, don’t get me wrong – I admire his capabilities, and I know (first hand, in a way) that being a clown is the hardest thing in the entire circus, but we are talking about MOVIES! Come on, this role should have been ...

An alien (Jeff Bridges) crashes on Earth and takes the form of a recently deceased man. On seeing the image of her dead husband before her, widow Jenny (Karen Allen) is frightened. But eventually, Starman wins her trust — and her affection — and she agrees to help him return to his home planet. Netflix , IMDB , Wikipedia (plot synopsis) Director: John Carpenter STC Genre : Golden Fleece (Buddy – or more precisely Love Fleece) SPOILER ALERT

Woody Allen’s iconic romantic comedy won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress, for its portrayal of the relationship between neurotic writer Alvy Singer (Allen) and quirky aspiring singer Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Allen’s snappy, pop culture-infused dialogue and Keaton’s gender-bending fashion sense influenced comedy and style for many years to come. Shelley Duvall, Carol Kane and Christopher Walken also star. Netflix , IMDB Director: Woody Allen BS Style: Buddy Love (rom-com love) As they say, Woody Allen is all the same, only different 🙂

A short video I did for the martial arts school of  Kaze Arashi ryu in Mountain View, CA: If you are curious about the school itself – visit their website . For the technical video geeks, the footage is shot at 720/60p with a 1/1000 exposure. This made each frame crispy-sharp, with virtually no motion blur even for the very fast moves. Then I slowed it down in Apple’s Motion using optical reflow – that’s the secret behind the Matrix-like slow-mo effect. The “talk” is the only exception: 24p at 1/48 with a long zoom and open aperture (about 2.0). This “tricks” the small sensor camera into a shallow depth of focus, making the background soft. Oh, and by the way, the last fighting sequence is no special effect – all real, unrehearsed, actual speed. It looks a bit weird and “too fast” precisely because it lacks the motion blur. I found that not only it’s impossible to take the blur out once it’s there, it’s...

In this comedic fantasy, science has facilitated the search for a soul mate via biotechnological implants that count down to the moment one is supposed to meet his or her match. But Oona (Emma Caulfield) is worried: She’s nearly 30, and her TiMER isn’t ticking yet. Will her dream guy get snatched up by someone else? John Patrick Amedori co-stars in this film from first-time writer and director Jac Schaeffer. Netflix , IMDB Director: Jac Schaeffer STC Genre : Buddy Love (rom-com love), with a touch of a four-handler “Incomplete Hero” – Oona “Counterpart” – the much younger “wrong” guy “Complication” – the timer (or its absence) Brilliant setup – what happens if you take the guesswork out of the love “equation”?

Gerard Depardieu and Pierre Richard team up in this comedy (later remade in America as Pure Luck) as incompetent cops Campana and Francois, who are searching for the accident-prone daughter of a filthy-rich business titan. Their investigation takes them from the boardrooms of a huge multinational conglomerate all the way to the tropics of Mexico. Netflix , IMDB Director: Francis Veber STC Genre : Golden Fleece (Buddy) “Road” – trip to Mexico “Team” – the two “cops” “Prize” – the president’s daughter Absolutely phenomenal classic French comedy. Who would not love Gerard Depardieu (the main hero) or Pierre Richard (his buddy)?

A 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) journeys through Underland, where she experiences strange ordeals and encounters peculiar characters, including the vaporous Cheshire Cat (voiced by Stephen Fry), the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the sadistic Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter). Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Matt Lucas and Crispin Glover co-star in director Tim Burton’s bold adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic. Netflix , IMDB Director: Tim Burton STC Genre : Golden Fleece (Solo?) “Road” – the rabbit hole “Team” – the Hatter and friends “Prize” – going back home The second trip of an older Alice. Quite an interesting take on the classic tale.

When aliens in enormous spacecraft suddenly arrive in Earth’s atmosphere and start blowing things up, it falls to a cocky pilot (Will Smith) and a goofy scientist (Jeff Goldblum) to save the planet from total destruction. With plenty of action, special effects sequences and pithy one-liners, Independence Day is one of the 1990s’ best popcorn flicks. Bill Pullman co-stars as the gung-ho president who urges his citizens to fight back. Netflix , IMDB Director: Roland Emmerich STC Genre : Monster in the House (Pure Monster) – according to Blake Snyder himself “Monster” = aliens “House” = the planet Earth “Sin” (Who allowed the monster in the house?) Technically, the aliens didn’t bother to ask anyone… However, the “area 51” could have been that sin. Impressive special effects and a decent story line done by the book with all the Hollywood cliches.

When she learns she’s in danger of losing her visa status and being deported, overbearing book editor Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock, in a Golden Globe-nominated role) forces her put-upon assistant, Andrew Paxton (Ryan Reynolds), to marry her. Directed by Anne Fletcher (27 Dresses), this romantic comedy also stars Craig T. Nelson and Mary Steenburgen as Andrew’s parents, Joe and Grace, and Betty White as the outspoken Grandma Annie. Netflix , IMDB Director: Anne Fletcher STC Genre : Buddy Love (what else can it be?!) While somewhat taken to the extreme, the story nevertheless is quite strong and engaging. Naturally, we get to see Sandra Bullock’s in her full glory (naked), and her archetypical journey from “she’s a man” tight-ass type a boss to a lovable woman.

Renowned sci-fi writer Jerome Bixby penned the script for this thought-provoking film starring David Lee Smith as John Oldman, a college professor who reveals to his colleagues that he’s actually a centuries-old caveman. And so begins a captivating philosophical meditation on immortality… Netflix , IMDB Director: Richard Schenkman STC Genre : Whydunit (Fantasy) “Detective” – all the people in the room including the main hero “Secret” – stories and revelations of a 14,000-year old man “Dark Turn” – many, actually, including some “revelations” on religious figures… Really well done story, and a well-shot movie for a low-budget indie. The love bit was somewhat unnatural for my tastes, but adds another twist to the story. Too bad this movie will never make it big – it’s too smart and controversial for its own good.

Winner of six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, director Robert Zemeckis’s charming blend of comedy and drama stars Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump, a simpleminded man who finds himself in the middle of nearly every major event of the 1960s and ’70s. Along the way, he makes friends, changes lives and searches for a soul mate. Hanks nabbed a Best Actor Oscar for his remarkable portrayal of the unsophisticated yet surprisingly wise Forrest. Netflix , IMDB Director: Robert Zemeckis STC Genre : Fool Triumphant Very well done movie with an extremely strong story of love that triumphs in the face of death and the hero’s impairment.

In the post-apocalyptic future, reigning tyrannical supercomputers teleport a cyborg assassin known as the “Terminator” (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back to 1984 to snuff Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose unborn son is destined to lead insurgents against 21st century mechanical hegemony. Meanwhile, the human-resistance movement dispatches a lone warrior (Michael Biehn) to safeguard Sarah. Can he stop the virtually indestructible killing machine? Netflix , IMDB Director: James Cameron STC Genre : Dude with a Problem (Epic Problem) Innocent Hero: Sarah Connor Sudden Event: Arrival of the Terminator Test of Survival – well, that’s pretty obvious 🙂

I decided to start recording my thoughts and quick summaries of the movies I watch. This is mostly for my own good – so I remember what story has what title, and also to categorize the movies by “genres” as coined by Blake Snyder in the book Save The Cat! If you haven’t yet read it, some of the comments may not make much sense to you. Much recommended if you too are working on a screenplay. These are not going to be the usual reviews you generally find on the Web, and I may even post some SPOILERS – so be careful. But I hope that it will be useful at least to me, and maybe to some other screenwriters. So, here we go…