Inneresting 88
issue 88
February 11th, 2021
This week’s announcement of the Academy Awards nominations gives us a great collection of writers to get familiar with. Let’s get to it!
Best Adapted Screenplay Nominees
The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal) - On video, Gyllenhaal introduces the film for a screening at Reclaim the Frame. Mitchell Beaupre talks with Gyllenhaal about the experience writing and directing this film, drawing on her previous work.
Dune (Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts) - Recorded for Scriptnotes, The Writers Guild Foundation shares a conversation between John and Eric about adapting novels and stories into screenplays. Eric shows his process, including the DOS program he still writes in. Geri Cole talks to Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve about Dune for the On Writing podcast.
Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe) - David Hudson provides an overview of Hamaguchi’s career for Criterion. David Ehrlich speaks with Hamaguchi about Drive My Car and Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy. Jordan Cronk Interviews Hamaguchi about two of his earlier films.
The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion) - Campion talks with Sofia Coppola about the film for the Film at Lincoln Center YouTube Channel. John DiLillo looks at the source material to explore its transition to the screen.
CODA (Sian Heder) - Heder talks about learning to swear in ASL and the depth of research that went into thoughtfully presenting aspects of the deaf experience on screen. Heder writes for the LA Times about working with directors of artistic sign language to translate and revise her dialogue into effective and engaging ASL.
Best Original Screenplay Nominees
Don’t Look Up (Adam McKay, David Sirota) - McKay talks with Sacha Pfieffer about the origins of the story, and eating Taco Bell while the world burns.
Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) - Branagh tells Creative Screenwriting about how he didn’t initially focus on directing Belfast, but only thought about the kind of writing he wanted to do.
Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson) - Anderson talks with Lina Lecaro about Gen X nostalgia and his approach to making a film set in the recent past. In an interview compilation from Outstanding Screenplays, Anderson offers 20 tips on writing.
The Worst Person in the World (Joachim Trier, Eskil Vogt) - Trier answers questions from Michael Frank about inspiration, originality, perspective, and love. Trier tells Variety about how the film’s protagonist, Julie, stands out as a singular person and not a stand-in for an entire identity.
King Richard (Zach Baylin) - Baylin talks with Gold Derby about finding the universal in the specific story of the Williams sisters. In conversation with Sadie Dean, Baylin offers advice on writing biopics.
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Previously on Inneresting…
In case you missed it, in last issue’s most clicked link ad firm Zulu Alpha Kilo shows what happens when you ask professionals to work for free under the same terms writers and other creatives are offered.
Other Inneresting Things
Anil Dash takes us step-by-step through how to build a broken tech/content culture cycle.
How Starbucks can act like an unregulated bank thanks to preloaded gift card balances.
Why the fight between Inigo Montoya and Count Rugen in The Princess Bride feels topsy-turvy, and why that makes it so engaging.
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
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