Writer’s Strike: Movies About or Featuring Writers As Characters
Posted on November 6, 2007
Filed Under General Movie Lists | 3 Comments
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On Monday, the people who write our favorite comedies, dramas, movies and late night shows went on strike. If this strike lasts for any significant period of time, we will eventually be watching re-runs. In fact, it’s already affecting late-night television. The strike could also shorten the final season of one of my favorite shows - Scrubs. Here’s hoping it ends soon.
With the current state of affairs in Hollywood, what would be more relevant than a list of movies about writers and/or that feature writers as characters? Here are ten eleven such movies (in no particular order) with a (very) short synopsis of each:
The Shining (1980)
Writer goes crazy.
Capote (2005)
Writer is obsessed.
Permanent Midnight (1998)
Writer likes drugs - a lot.
Stranger Than Fiction (2006)
Writer can’t figure out how to end her novel.
Misery (1990)
Writer is saved and then kidnapped by an obsessed fan.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
Writer takes a trip with his lawyer.
Stand By Me (1986)
Writer remembers that crazy summer when he and his friends found a dead body.
Almost Famous (2000)
Wannabe writer goes on tour.
Interview with the Vampire (1994)
Writer interviews a vampire.
As Good As It Gets (1997)
Writer with obsessive compulsive disorder falls in love.
The Player (1992)
Writer threatens a producer.
Tags: almost famous, as good as it gets, ben stiller, brad pitt, cameron crowe, capote, cuba gooding, emma thompson, fear and loathing in las vegas, helen hunt, hunter s. thompson, interview with a vampire, jack nicholson, james caan, jerry stahl, johnny depp, jr., kirstin dunst, misery, permanent midnight, philip seymour hoffman, rob reiner, robert altman, scrubs, stand by me, stanley kubrick, stephen king, stranger than fiction, the player, the shining, tim robbins, tom cruise, will farrell, writer039s strike
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Top 100 Movies: No. 94 - Bottle Rocket (1996)
Posted on October 5, 2007
Filed Under Top 100 Movies | Leave a Comment
Nose tape, yellow jumpsuits, wanna-be outlaws who are incredibly inept, and bird calls - sounds like a Wes Anderson movie to me.
Bottle Rocket was our introduction to Wes and the Wilson brothers - Owen and Luke. Andrew Wilson, Owen and Luke’s older brother, also appears in the movie as Future Man. Talk about a family affair.
Oh, did I forget to mention James Caan? Yes he is in the movie, no it wasn’t his first movie (duh), and yes, he plays a tough guy - “crime boss,” Mr. Henry. How did Wes and Owen (who co-wrote Bottle Rocket), get Mr. Caan to take part? Quite a coup if you ask me.
You really don’t know much about these guys except that they are in their mid-twenties, have nothing going for them, and really want something big to happen - preferably an adventure involving a heist, laughing gas, pole vaulting, explosions, etc., etc.
The beginning and end of this flick are are great. Owen really runs with his quirky character Dignan when they are preparing for and executing the heists. However, the movie drags a little bit in the middle when the guys are hiding out after robbing a bookstore (a bookstore!!), during which time Anthony pursues a housekeeper who speaks very little English. Overall though, Bottle Rocket is solid and a precursor for future greatness from Wes Anderson.
Check back next week for more of my Top 100 Movies and original movie lists. Have a great weekend!
Tags: andrew wilson, bottle rocket, james caan, list, luke wilson, owen wilson, top 100 movies, wes anderson, wilson brothers
