Structure: Gladiator

It hasn’t been that long since we saw this year’s Oscars Ceremony. But where are the movies? If you ask me: largely forgotten. So I felt compelled to look back at a Big Winner of 9 years ago. When Gladiator went on TV, I was the ‘head of movies’ for the company that scored the … Read more

Story Structure: Avatar

It took AVATAR 17 days to break through the $1bn worldwide and to this day, it is the highest grossing film in the history of cinema. It is a movie worth analysing. by Karel Segers To my taste – I was not raised on popcorn fare – James Cameron is the only true-bred Hollywood writer-director. … Read more

Structure: Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead (S. Pegg & E.Wright, 2004) was my first iTunes movie download. I needed it urgently and the download was quick & cheap. Pure craftmanship. No wonder the ‘zomcom’ made $30m worldwide

__________________________________________________________________________
by Karel Segers

This is the type of comedy only the Brits can do well. Simon ‘Shaun’ Pegg wrote it with director Edgar Wright, both seasoned comedians with perfect timing.
At the bottom of the page you’ll find some notes on the mythical aspects of this story, but let’s get straight into the minute-by-minute breakdown first!

Read more

Structure: The Untouchables

David Mamet has never equaled the tremendous power of his eighties screenplays. The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Verdict, The Untouchables and even his own directorial debut House of Games, starring his then wife Lindsay Crouse.

The Untouchables has always been my favorite. De Palma turned the script into the most cinematic of Mamet’s writing.

Read more

Structure: A Beautiful Mind

A structural overview of A Beautiful Mind (2001). It took me a while to appreciate this gem by Akiva Goldsman and directed by Ron Howard. Not sure why. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, so I had a good reason for looking into it. Screenwriter Goldsman had a personal attachment to the … Read more