Project Greenlight 2 (1 Viewer)

[Jason Merrick]

It is a good script but it definitely needs work. I found my interest really only kicked in about 30-40 pages in - which I think is a little late. Also, without giving away any plot spoilers - there's an issue about balancing how much time you give to specific relationships, so that the plot motivations are plausible and the action is emotionally satisfying.

Paul,

You have an amazing ability to read my mind. I have seen the movie already (at a test screening) and you pretty much described everything I thought about the movie.

 

[Paul Mason]

Jason,

It's interesting that you say that having seen the movie itself, because I understood from this thread that there's been a fair amount of re-writes since the script I read.

 

[Michael Hughes]

I think that the screenwriter is looking like aces throughout this, she looks good on camera and she fights for her stuff and also compromises. She reminds me of Sabrina Lloyd. These two directors are a train wreck, they make good tv, but man they seem like a total misfire.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I think you'd have similar problems with pretty much any amateur or semi-pro director doing a first-time real movie. They're used to having to do everything themselves and don't know how to delegate. I think they'll do better when it comes to the actual shooting, which is going to be a lot more similar to what they're used to.

I thought the editing request was reasonable enough, but the car was a bit much. I got up off the couch when they started questioning whether they need a production designer though. Apparently, there won't be a Project Greenlight 3 if this isn't successful, so I'm hoping they pull it together.

 

[Chris]

I know Pete (PG1) said that the show was not representative of how it went.. I'm betting the folks inside of Mirimax may think differently.. the movie made $120,000 at the theaters.. and while the show on HBO + broadcast rights meant they couldn't really lose, they definitely didn't win anything with it either.

I think "Battle of Shaker Heights" needs to earn at least the prize money... preferrably more.. at the box office in order to have a PG3.

 

[Chris]

Once again, the guys show themselves to be doofs. At least it looks like they will be more capable in the shooting stage. The moment that Efrome said "why don't we write the script" I almost laughed. These guys apparently tend to believe that if they do everything, wear all the hats, that's how it will work best. It was pretty obvious to me that the writer is busting her ass.

Too bad for her that when it came down to a final script meeting, Efrome blows it off in order to go pick up and play with his new toy Range Rover.

The fight over casting made me laugh out loud. I agree with the casting director.. there was kind of a joy in busting their balls over who would get that part. That's how it works. They fooled around, they had obvious talent - even if they didn't want her - interested. Why turn it away? What do they know that no one else does?

 

[Patrick Sun]

Actually, if I were Chris Moore, and Ephram was giving me lip about the casting of the mom, I'd ask Ephram how he liked that Landrover he was driving, and then to STFU!

 

[Marty M]

I'm wondering if the people who chose the directors are having big time second thoughts that maybe they should have let the woman direct this movie.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I don't think they should have let her direct the the movie. She seemed like she wouldn't be very good to work with. For instance, she thought she should direct the project becuase she liked the script rather than having any specific vision for it. Mayb they're thinking they should have chosen Dagen Merrill, though.

 

[Steve_Tk]

I thought it was hilarious when those two morons were threatening to quit.

Lucas and Spielberg can threaten, Huge casting roles can threaten, those two morons??

I like how Moore said they could be replaced. They would give up a career (which they will not get anyway) and go back to Maine over casting? Instead of just doing the project to at least have a possible career.

They got their first taste of business politics and they make idle threats. How silly.

 

[Patrick Sun]

How much do the actors get if the overall budget is only $1 million? Seems like a small pie once it gets divvied up.

 

[Chris]

They would make scale.. so, you're looking at no more then we're thinking the lead could get 100-150, but I'd be super doubtful of that.. the one perk is that the $1M budget doesn't include salary for directors/writer.. so that's all cast/sets/crew. I'm assuming the actors may also get % points of any profits...

 

[Michael Hughes]

Each week these directors are less and less likeable, I wish the writer was directing this thing like last season, at least she could follow through on her vision. She's being the one true light in this project so far. These two guys seem like spoiled brats who feel like they have earned something. Either that or HBO is editing this series to really not like these guys. They continue to look like a bad choice.

The broken chair moment was another priceless Chris Moore moment though

 

[Alphonse Brown]

I rewound the broken chair scene 7 times!!! CLASSIC!

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

And they still haven't finished casting. Ridiculous!

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Finished? They don't have a single person signed. I get the feeling they're going to be better at the actual shooting.

 

[Derek Miner]

Interesting to look at the final casting...

The show has been playing up the fear that there is no cast, when obviously Kyle and Efram have the advantage that they know Ray Wise. He appeared in one of their films and their director's audition for Project Greenlight. Though Wise is probably not a "hot" name, having a known commodity in your camp can't hurt the guys' credibility in getting name talent.


Also during this last week's episode, on the audition between Elden Henson and Shia LaBeouf, I commented to my roommate, "Is it wrong that I know these two guys were both in DUMB AND DUMBERER?"

That's what I get for reading craploads of bad movie reviews for my Movie Poop Shoot feature...

Oh, and I can't believe that STOLEN SUMMER only made $120 thousand. Truly awful, awful films, even those that are considered bombs, commonly open to over $1 million, so that's a shock. I thought STOLEN SUMMER was notably better than it could have been. Very honest and well performed. No unintentional anachronisms stood out to me, either.

I will suggest that Miramax did an awful job of platforming the release. It played in my market much later than the initial release, and when you drag the movie from market to market like that with no promotion (I suppose they counted on the HBO series as their only marketing?)... well, okay, $120 thousand makes sense now.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Stolen Summer was on 14 screens for 2 weeks. I bet it could have done better with a bigger release.

 

[Patrick Sun]

7/13/03 episode:

Finally, a cast has been casted! Geez, talk about last minute casting. Shia's driving lesson and his mom were a trip. Loved how Chris put the director duo in their place w/r/t the casting of the mom. In the end, I guess it worked out. I didn't like either Sadler or Cole's reading for the role of Abe. But, not all that crazy about Mcdonald either.

I think Erica's going to have a total breakdown, but she's still showing up as the one who's really dedicated to getting her foot through the Hollywood doors and taking in the changes and making her script as shoot-worthy as possible.

Ephram and Kyle ... the jury's still out on them. The upcoming sneak peek for next week's HOUR long show seems like it's going to just as chaotic as these pre-production weeks were.

 

[Chris]

It's looking more and more like Erica probably has a future in the business. People are impressed with her ability to take criticism and quickly work re-writes while keeping in mind what's asked of her (read: Team Player) whereas Ephram and Kyle are coming off as obnoxious twits who are so demanding and moronic that they cannot pull their head out of their a--.

I loved the preview for next week where Chris Moore yells into a phone that "they cannot make wholesale changes in the script" and where Erica yells into the phone at Ephram "GD! Did you not have a phone!" Next week could be entertaining