Andrew Chapman Film Review

A  Short Guide to Watching The Big Lebowski

First you’ll need to find an appropriate glass. A straight short tumbler. Put ice in it. Eyeball measure one part Kahlua to one part vodka, then pour in two parts light cream (milk is also suitable). Stir. You now have a White Russian. Every time The Dude makes himself a White Russian, make yourself one too. If you are watching with friends, ensure that they do the same.

The Dude abides

If they don’t drink due to being pregnant, they’re a recovering alcoholic, because they are currently taking medicine that reacts badly with alcohol, or simply because they are one of those annoyingly high achieving twats who has their shit together (fuck those guys), they can watch the film too, just know that they won’t be enjoying the film as much as you.

Slowly get drunk until the film swims into your soul and becomes a part of you.

When the credits roll, have an existential crisis, quit your job and dedicate the rest of your life to trying and failing to write a screenplay half as good as this one.

Die knowing that you tried to do something interesting with your small insignificant life.

Andrew Chapman Screenwriting

Jimmy Stewart Rides Again

We’ve been on a Jimmy Stewart fix in this house recently, watching Rear Window, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Winchester ’73, Destry Rides Again (one of his best in my opinion), tonight’s film: Mr Smith Goes to Washington, and soon, as with every Christmas, It’s A Wonderful Life.

He had a certain way with him, in his mannerisms, and the way he spoke, and his comedic intuitions. He was a funny actor. I would love to have written a film for him. I wonder if there’s a modern actor like him out there somewhere? I mean, I haven’t made a single film yet, but if you’re going to fantasise about a future career in filmmaking you might as well make it unbelievable. Anybody got a time machine I can borrow?

Andrew Chapman Screenwriting

8 On The Black List!

This has made my day! I just got a really excellent evaluation on The Black List for a screenplay I wrote called Runts. (I’ve shared the final part of the evaluation in the second image). A previous evaluation described the script as being “stunningly executed”.

The crazy thing is, I wasn’t sure about this one. I abandoned it a few years ago, convincing myself it wasn’t good enough. And then Rachel read it a few months ago and told me I was crazy, it’s great! (Her words). And convinced me to revisit the story and get it out there. Now I kinda love it.

Link to The Black List page: https://blcklst.com/dashboard/projects/149594

Andrew Chapman Screenwriting

Writing Runts

While I was between jobs, about a year and a half ago, I wrote a feature-length script in four weeks. This week, I read it for the first time since then. It’s a hell of a lot better than I remember. It needs a couple of new scenes and a slightly different ending, but I’ve got that all figured out, and I’m on a mission to finish it today.

The next step for this script is the almost impossible step. It requires luck, an incredible amount of random chance, and not much else. Somewhere out there is a director who is looking for something exactly like this, and our paths have to cross at just the right time.

RUNTS. A council house in the south of England. Night. Two young brothers bury their dead mother in the garden.

So begins a story of two boys, Brian, aged 11, and Dean, 16, as they learn to fend for themselves while keeping this dark secret. Things spiral out of control, and Brian begins to realise that there is something very, very, wrong with his older brother.

Andrew Chapman Review

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (No Spoilers).

We just watched The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent in the cinema, the new Nicholas Cage movie.

Holy crap it was amazing. The audience was young and noisy and at first I thought that was going to be annoying but I’m so glad there was a lot of energy in the room. It reminded of what cinemas are for and why watching a film in that setting can be so great. The whole room was laughing and audibly responding to references and surprising twists and whatnot. Perfect way to watch a brilliant and weird and unique film.

I’m talking about the audience because I don’t want to talk about the film. Not a bit.

The best way to experience it is to avoid all knowledge of it. Don’t watch the trailer, don’t Google it, don’t read the comments on this post in case somebody gives something away. Just book a ticket and go. You will thank me and you will have experienced a future cult movie in the best possible way.

We booked three films to watch at the cinema this week. The first was The Batman, the second was this Nick Cage film, and the last one is Unchartered, which we are watching tomorrow morning. Out of all of them I had no expectations for the Cage film. I didn’t even watch the trailer. We just went in blind thinking it was going to be another one of his random trash thrillers he’s been putting out recently.

I was so wrong. It might be one of my new favourite films.

It’s out on the 22nd April (we booked an early screening).