Month: April 2011

Hummingbirds and COPS

stardate

BL: C and i were working on the main form page, we wanted the files to be pushed live and Andy was not there so we are waiting for his return
BRAIN: ok. and once it’s pushed live… will it work you think?
BL: its a possibility
BL: its one of two possibilities i guess

er, thanks!

Yesterday on the way to the cafeteria I saw a hummingbird sitting on the path. He was so tiny I crouched to look at him… up close he looked pretty pissed off. He had sand on his beak.

Coworker Danielle was passing by and was enraptured by the hummingbird. I figured I’d see if he was still there after lunch, and if so I’d call someone. I left for the cafeteria… on the way back he was gone.

Hours later Danielle was standing in the hall looking at the skylights above Marketing, 2 stories up. She looked bummed. “I am such an idiot” she says.

Looks like the hummingbird was just stunned, recuperated on her desk, and was now trapped in the office with the glass ceiling. This bird crippled Marketing for 2 hours, ladies were crying, etc. I set up a ladder with some Hawaiian Punch on it, but he wouldn’t come down. Eventually he got too tired to fly and got herded towards the door… Danielle fed him sugar water through a coffee stir.

Today during a meeting we saw over a dozen police cars and motorcycles racing towards our complex. “Get down on the ground!!!” we hear… looks like someone was running from the police and was about to be “tazed.”

Rewrite “Cutthroat Island”

flix

I’m watching Cutthroat Island. It’s about as bad as I’ve heard.

I was thinking though, it would be an interesting writing challenge to do a rewrite of the script and story as if you were on the production. The movie looks really great! But as it was made, the story and characters suck. The acting wasn’t great either, but let’s be charitable and say this is due to the writing. The scenario:

You find yourself in an alternate universe where Carolco is failing earlier than it did, this time just BEFORE Cutthroat Island is shot but after the production design is completed. Just as it came to pass in our universe, production design is underway even before the draft script is completed! Also as in our history, the script is in trouble – it’s been through six different screenwriters, and is a hackneyed mess. This time, however, the buyers of Carolco come to their senses and realize they have the opportunity to make a completely different movie with the same pieces.

  • You have been hired to rewrite Cutthroat Island. Production is already underway.
  • The casting has already been finalized. You must use the Geena Davis and Matthew Modine as the two leads, and Frank Langella as the villain.
  • Geena Davis is “involved” with the director. You can alter her character, but you cannot diminish her screen time. She must remain the lead.
  • The sets, design, effects, etc have all been set. You must use all the same locations. Bonus points for the same costumes.
  • Action sequences must remain intact!