But not every character should necessarily change. This runs contrary to the prevailing wisdom in modern storytelling. From screenwriting gurus to studio executives, a successful screenplay is thought to be one in which the principal characters in a story undergo significant change. But is that really true? Must every character grow in such a way that they see the world through different eyes? Partly yes, and partly no.

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In my previous analysis of the film I Am Legend, I examined the meaningful differences between the theatrical and the alternate version released on DVD. In this “deeper” look into the film, I’ll go into more detail why I made the choices I made using the Dramatica theory of story as my key reference point.

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A great story consists of two fundamental arguments: the headline and the heartline. One argument plays towards the logical side of our existence; the other plays more towards the emotional. Both are essential. Why? Because you want to create stories that are both logically satisfying and emotionally fulfilling. Leave one side out and the audience feels cheated.

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Finally. A decent trailer for Pixar’s 2008 Summer release Wall-E.

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Stories, like bridesmaid dresses, come in all different shapes and sizes. And while the purpose of most of these dresses seems to be to insult and shame the wearer, the majority of stories out there aren’t created with the same dismal intentions. In fact, most stories exist to satisfy and emotionally fulfill their audience.

Thankfully, 27 Dresses is one of these stories.

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It’s not an easy thing adapting a short story into a workable screenplay. Some writers find themselves at a loss trying to transmogrify 20-30 pages into a two hour movie; others have no problem finding the material necessary to fill in the blanks and come out with a wonderfully meaningful story. Unfortunately it seems that Frank Darabont was more the former when it came to adapting Stephen King’s short story The Mist for the big screen. With bold confidence he managed to take a delightfully scary story and turn it into a disturbing piece of propaganda.

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Everybody loves Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The 1961 romantic comedy by Blake Edwards is so beloved that it even inspired a pop song several years ago. Central to everyone’s love for this film is the spirited performance by Audrey Hepburn. So captivating is this performance that most people assume, as did I, that Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly was the Main Character of the story.

Further examination proves that this is not the case.

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Constant readers of this site will know why I got such a kick out of this latest trailer. Besides the fact that I’m a sucker for any Western (my love for Deadwood and Unforgiven knows no bounds), this film actually looks like it could be pretty decent. For those just happening by, pay special close attention to the back and forth between Jesse (Brad Pitt) and Ford (Casey Affleck).

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If there is one thing 300 gets right, it’s the awesome spectacle of blood spattering. Matching with uncanny accuracy the images provided by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, director Zack Snyder provides fanboys with the ultimate comic book adaptation.

If only a complete story had accompanied the crimson-soaked celluloid…

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Bolstered by a captivating performance from Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix serves up one visual delight after another for fans of the book series. Unfortunately, for those of us who have not read the books, the film fails to provide enough story information to go along with the spectacle.

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