Quick post today. I have a busy day, but had to mention another of my favorite topics. Movies. Unless this is your first visit to SydneyAaliyah.com, you know I love movies. Movies work their way into my writing organically. I can’t help it. Here a few movie references in Another New Life.
Can you name these three movies?
Please add Another New Life to your Goodreads list.
It’s time for the WIP: The Movie Bloghop. I love this bloghop. It satisfies my inner movie mogul persona.
Thanks so much to Kyra Lennon and Rachel Schieffelbein for bringing it back.
My soon to be released debut Novel Another New Life is about a eighteen year old piano prodigy who goes away to school in order to escape the reminders of her tragic childhood, but she soon realizes escaping her inner demons may prove more difficult.
I tried to create a young cast, but one with the talent to pull off the serious subject matter. This is not your typical teen drama.
For the lead character, Miranda Preston.
I figured an Oscar winning actress could pull it off. Jennifer Lawrence is my Miranda.
For the love interest and football star, Troy Anderson.
Chace Crawford as the right attitude and the right hair to play my leading man.
The witty southern belle looking for love and Miranda’s roommate, Darcy Albritton.
Ashley Benson is so cute, charming and can break hearts all over Austin.
I picked a theme song for my novel during the outlining process and it inspired me and allowed me to create the feel of the story through out the writing process.
Pink featuring Nate Reuss – Just Give me a Reason. Plus, Pink has her real life husband Carey Hart in the video and they are my celebrity couple role models.
Who would you pick as your perfect cast for your WIP?
Last year, I participated in three of 5 stages in the 5 Obsturction Blogathon created by Nostra of myfilmviews.com. I enjoyed the blogathon because it made me look at movies and movie reviews in a different way. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finished it because life got in the way, but I promised myself if he hosted another blogathon, I would be all in. MyFilmViews.com along with Karamel Kinema have created the Life, Love and the Movies Blogathon.
The rules are simple, answer the following 16 questions.
Life
1. What was the first movie you saw in the cinema and what do you remember about that visit? The first movie I remember seeing in the movie theater was 1977 Smokey and the Bandit. The movie stared Burt Reynolds, Sally Field and Jackie Gleason. I remember not really understanding it. I was really young.
2. Are there any movies you have very strong memories of which are not because of the movie (for example something which happened at the time you were watching it)? Smokey and the Bandit holds a strong memory. The story: “The Bandit is hired to run a tractor trailer full of beer over county lines in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff.” That trailer of beer was Coors beer and my father worked for Coors at the time in the marketing department and it was shameless marketing how often they showed that truck full of Coors beer.
3. Which movies had a big impact on you and changed a (small) part of your view on life? 1980 Urban Cowboy because it took place in Houston and that’s were I was living at the time. It was cool to have a movie set in your own city. We got to share it with the word. Although the movie didn’t do much to dispel any of the Texas stereotypes.
4. Do you have any comfort movies which you return to because you are in a specific mood (for example if you are feeling down/nursing a heartbreak)? Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is my go to movie to put myself in a good mood. Not only is it southern and sexy it has some amazing dialogue.
5. If a movie would be made about your life, what type of movie would it be and who would you like to portray you? It would be some type of chick lit movie with a lot of humor, but at the center, it would be my journey to find my passion. Thandie Newton could play me. Although we look nothing alike.
6. Which existing movie best represents you? The Matrix – I spent most of my life doing what was expected of me. I wasn’t unhappy, but I always thought I was supposed to be doing something else. I feel like I had been asleep for a long time, but two years ago, I finally woke up.
7. If you knew you would die tomorrow, what would be the last movie you would want to see? The Avengers. It is my favorite movie with my favorite movie character (Tony Stark/Ironman) and the dialogue is brilliant.
8. If you can spend your life working in the film industry, what would you be and why? (you know, director, producer, actor, cinematographer, costume designer, sound designer etc?) I would like to be a studio executive/executive producer. I would have the opportunity to make decisions on what movies got made and help to raise funding for those movies. If I did have this job, trust me, there would be a new Avenger movie out every six months for the rest of my life.
1. Did you ever have a first kiss with someone while at the cinema and if so which movie was playing? I haven’t, but how cool would that be.
2. What is your favorite movie relationship and why? Anna Scott & William Thacker – not only is it the regular person with the famous person, but the movie doesn’t just stop when they finally get together, you get to find out what happens after that. That movie had the most satisfying ending.
3. When did your love for movies start and how has it grown? I have loved movies as long as I can remember. A movie a week was normal for my family growing up. Often we had a movie day on Monday holidays, we would spend the whole day at the movies watching one after the other. We got in four one time. It’s my favorite escape.
4. If you have to choose one film to watch with your loved one, what would it be and why? I have two depending on where we were in our relationship. He’s Just Not that Into You if I needed him to think differently about relationships and Titantic if I wanted him to see what never dying love is all about. (I know, most of them die, but it’s a feeling)
5. If you can choose one character from a movie to be your significant other who would it be and why? Legolas from LOTR and The Hobbit. Not only is he beautiful in the most masculine sort of way for an Elf, but he is loyal, understands tradition, spiritual and he will fight and die for you.
6. What was the first movie that made you fall in in love with film and cinema? I had an early love of movies, but I think The Breakfast Club made me recognize and fall in love with a perfect movie. It was the first moment I realize what an amazing script, amazing cast and an amazing director could create.
7. How did your passion for movies turn you into a movie blogger? My friends used to play the movie quote game and I would pick the most obscure dialogue or line and stump them every time. On a trip to London when I was 15, I got home sick and the thing that made me feel better was reciting the entire script of The Breakfast Club. My love of quotes is where Sydney Quotes the Movies come from.
8. What is your favorite date from a movie? I don’t know if this actually qualifies as a date, but my favorite couple moment is from Notting Hill when Anna gives William the Chagall painting and says my favorite movie line of all time, “I’m just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.”
Where did your love of movies come from? Join the blogathon and tell us.
Month two of The 5 Obstruction Blogathon and we are challenged to write a review of a movie and include an interview. I get a gold check mark if I am able to interview a person involved in the movie. Well, fortunately, I didn’t have to go to far to find a quality interview. On a recent trip to LA, my brother ran into one of his high school friends, Mr. James Lopez. James is a studio executive at Screen Gem a division of Sony Pictures.Think Like a Man
Think Like a Man chronicles the relationships of four guys attempt to get back at their women once they discover they are being manipulated by the mandates in the book, Act Like a Lady and Think Like a Man by comedian Steve Harvey.
As the Studio Executive on this film, James’ responsibilities covered the time frame from acquiring the project for Screen Gem to the films release and every step in-inbetween.
While I didn’t want to bust my own magic movie bubble, I was fascinated by how this self help book with no characters was transformed into an ensemble cast motion picture. James credits the writers in creating the unique take on the project, which was essential in getting the movie green lighted.
The movie is full amazing relationship dialogue between men and women. During the writing process, James felt the movie needed some extra “funny”. He hired a comedic writer to “punch up” (industry term) the comedy. The result is a good movie with great witty rhetoric and one liners. Some of my favorite:
“We’ve been betrayed by one of our own. A man. I’m talking about a man with a penis. Someone who should know better.” “I’m one of the guys except I have a vagina.” “I swear to God Frodo Baggins had it easier.” “All this waiting for better is making you bitter.” “Honesty is overrated. That’s in the Bile. Old Testament.”During casting, James’ used his influence to secure Romany Malco in the role of Zeke, the player. You may know Romany from 40 Year Old Virgin and Blades of Glory. Zeke is one of my favorite character’s in the book. The Player who falls in love get’s me every time. (Don’t ask why.)
As a writer, I am fascinated with the timeline and process of a book from idea to publication. I asked James to give me the rundown of Think Like a Man’s journey.
For a picture of this size and with this type of cast, once green light, the movie came about fairly quick. They must have done something right because the movie was a great success. The movie cost $12 million to make and grossed over $90 million in the domestic box office.
I had to ask James if he could tell me anything about the sequel. He was tight lipped, but he did let me know the entire cast will be back for the sequel and an addition of Wendi McLendon-Covery from Braidsmaid. Again, a choice championed by Mr. Lopez.
Look for more instant classic’s from James Lopez (I’ve know him since I was 10, how cool is that) in 2013 and 2014 such as Battle of the Year (release in September 2013), About Last Night (remake of the Rob Lowe/Demi Moore 80’s classic release in February 2014) and Think Like A Man 2 (release in June 2014).
Have you seen Think Like A Man? What did you think?
From the mind of Guillermo Del Toro, the man who wrote the screenplay for the Hellboy series and The Hobbit Series and one of my favorites, Pan’s Labyrinth, wrote and directed this robots meet alien monsters movie, Pacific Rim.
I enjoyed this movie. It’s a great story with an original story line and great robots and monsters. Two thing that sealed the deal for me in picking this movie as my second favorite of the year (IronMan3 is #1 if you’re wondering) 1, most of the movie took place in Hong Kong, which is a city I spent a lot of time in when I lived in Asia and 2, at the end, the male and female protagonist are shown in the final scene and they didn’t end it with a kiss. (Thank you, I hate that, see Speed).
Let’s get to the quotes:
Raliegh Beckett (so cute): I’ll let Raliegh explain this movie.
“We always thought alien life would come from the stars but it came from deep beneath the sea, a portal beneath dimensions in the Pacific Ocean. Something out there had discovered us. The first Kaiju made land in San Francisco. The second attack hit Manilla. Then the third one hit Cabo. Then we learned this was not going to stop. In order to fight monsters, we created monsters of our own. We needed a new weapon. The Jaeger Program was born. Two pilots, our minds, our memories, we were connected when man and in machine become one. We started winning, then it all changed. They counted on the humans to hide, to give up, to fail. We never considered our ability to stand, to endure, that we would rise to the challenge.”
You can’t blame Raliegh for being reluctant to fight, but you can’t deny Stacker Pentacost’s (great name) powers of persuasion.
“Two things, one, don’t ever touch me and two, don’t ever touch me.”
“Haven’t you heard? The world is coming to an end. We need a pilot. I need your fighting skills.”
“This is the end of the world. So where do you want to die? Here or in a Jaeger?”
“Today we are canceling the apocalypse!”
The dark movie needed some comic relief, and this time it came in the form of a short, nasally tattoed scientist who had a unique admiration for the monsters; meet Dr. Newton Geizler.
“Their sole purpose was to aim for the most populated areas and take out the vermin, us.”
“If you’re going to stop them, you have to understand them.”
“Ten Thousand Five Hundred tons of awesome.”
The movie was ten thousand five hundred tons of amazing and I only touched the surface. Go see it. If you need help keeping some of the concepts straight, I’ve included a little Pacific Rim cheat sheet.
Jaegers – robots created to fight the monsters.
Kaiju – alien monsters who pass through a portal in the depths of the pacific ocean to take over earth.
Pilot to Pilot connection – the Jaegers are controlled by two pilots who must enter each others minds to share the viral load in order to control the robot. Only two pilots have been able to control a Jaeger solo without ending up as a vegetable.
Neural Handshake – the process by which the pilots connect. (This connect seems to work best with relatives; brothers or father/son, but doesn’t have to.)
Last but, the opposite of least, let me introduce you to the robots.
If you’re not a sci-fi fan, still go see this movie. If you are a sci-fi fan, hold on to your geeked out mind, this is a good one.
Have you seen Pacific Rim? What did you think?
Sydney Aaliyah Michelle 