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De Niro Seeks Science-Oriented Film Scripts
farrellj writes "According to this CBC story it seems that De Niro is looking for the next 'A Beautiful Mind, Memento or Good Will Hunting.' The script must have a scientist, mathematician or engineer as the lead charactor...And a finished script with synopsis and writer's resume must be in by Nov. 1. Submission info in the CBC story above.
Now, who is writing the 'Cowboy Neal saves the world' script? "
I can just see it, DeNiro sitting in some basement in Michigan or wherever and writing some illegible code for an hour and a half...
The romance is there with the infamous Valentine's Day Proposal.
Hemos is the "good buddy"...
This is gold.
In what way was Memento a science-oriented film? How does it fit in with Good Will Hunting or A Beautiful Mind (which was good mostly due to Jennifer Connley -- how did she stay so damn good looking?).
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
If this is what is on the frontpage today, I'd hate to see what got rejected.
I am not a number! I am a man! And don't you
... Damn!, I'm always late with my great ideas.
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--Chag
De Niro is looking for the next 'A Beautiful Mind, Memento or Good Will Hunting.' The script must have a scientist, mathematician or engineer as the lead charactor.
I never knew that Leonard was a scientist, mathematician or engineer.
Maybe he just forgot.
-cibrPLUR
mathematician: do you have the formula?
deniro: you talkin to me?
mathematician: yes, give me the numbers please.
deniro: you must be talking to me, i dont see anyone else.
mathematician: yes, im talking to you, why is this such a problem fo you?
deniro: you got a problem?
mathematician: oh god.
There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
If he were Indian (or looked anything like G.H. Hardy to play another role), I think the movie of Ramanujan would be greatly impressive if done right. Read "The Man Who Knew Infinity", it's a good story.
I'd love to see a film showing the madness of the inventors at PARC inventing the future in which we now live. As far as characters you've got 'em in spades telling that story ! Butler Lampson, Bob Metcalf, Alan Kay, Gary Starkwheather...there's probably be a number of movies and stories you could tell. Not sure how compelling it might be a lay populace, but with characters that strong a writer might should (I would suppose) be able to taylor a story with commercial appeal...
Quod scripsi, scripsi.
Earth is about to be hit by a huge asteroid and the only way to save mankind it is to use something with a big enough mass to push the asteroid off its course.
That's when CowboyNeal springs into action (powered by the world's largest catapult, naturally).
In a dramatic sequence, he misses the asteroid completely. Humanity prepares to be obliterated (shots of Arafat and Sharon hugging, Bush in bed with Osama, etc.). But the scientists notice that, without CowboyNeal's mass, Earth's orbit has changed slightly, and the asteroid narrowly misses.
The film ends with a shot fo CowboyNeal landing on the moon and eating it.
RMN
~~~
I could see De Niro doing a really good Feynman. Feynman was brilliant above and beyond the call of duty, had a fascinating life and was kind of quirky. I could see De Niro doing him pretty well, with that New York accent.
They could get Jon Lovitz to play me (I mean the software engineer).
DeNiro: I'm looking to get a part in one of those movies like Memento or "A beautiful mind"
Agent: You mean a science related movie?
DeNiro: No, I mean an Oscar winner - it's been a while
Thanks, I'll be here all week.
XML causes global warming.
In what way was Memento a science-oriented film?
It wasn't and I'd wager that De Niro et. al don't really want a film about science or even about scientists. What they want is another standard Hollywood film (note that the 'prize', if you win, is help developing their scripts from filmmakers. That means the same morons who put out crap every year are going to help you "improve" your story.) that has the gimmick of having a scientist in it. Why? Because any reviewer who sees the film and likes it will inevitably draw comparisons or make some comment about A Beautiful Mind even if the only similiary is that both films star a scientist or mathematician. People will read the review and say to themselves "Hey, I liked A Beautiful Mind, so I'll probably like this new movie as well." This is a standard trick in Hollywood -- try to associate your crap movie with something the audience already has a fondness for.
A Beautiful Mind (which was good mostly due to Jennifer Connley -- how did she stay so damn good looking?).
You ever see her in "Career Opportunities"? You think she looks good now at 30-something, you should see her in that film when she was 21 or 22. Yow!
GMD
watch this
Next year is the 60th anniversary of the most important battle in human history - Kursk.
At every point in that battle the USSR's armed forces outwitted and out fought the Nazis. Now, that is because of the great skills and abilities of the Red Army and Red Airforce by 1943. But it is also because of the superior intelligence available to the allies as a whole - and one man, Alan Turing, is responsible for that.
Kursk is little known and understood in the west - but it is worth stating this simple fact: it was the first time the Nazi blitzkreig was stopped in summer campaigning weather. It was a seminal event in human history that has been covered up by the cold war for too long.
But better than that, it was the moment when scientific rationality (by which I mean the triumph of intelligence and not soime bizarre Stalinist idea of 'scientific socialism') triumphed over the will to power.
There could be a great, epic, film here and I wish I could write it.
The ending where DeNiro reaps death apon the entire RIAA would have an awfully satisfying feel (esp. if it were filmed without special effects). Maybe the sequel could take down the MPAA.
[Pictures Jack Valenti being knifed by DeNiro. Smiles.]
Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
De Niro needs to remake Godzilla vs. Megalon.
I thought there were plenty of Script K1dd13z on Slashdot. There has to be some bash scripter... oh wait. Nevermind.
Ha ha. Seriously, though, this might be a good time for a remake of that famous tale. The movie that exists ("Charly") is pretty laughable and dated in spots (like when he takes off for a cruise around the countryside on a motorcycle). And laboratory manipulation of living creatures is always in the news these days. Seems like the time is right for a well-done version movie version of that story. Can you imagine the power of a film that shows a good actor knowing that he's slipping back into his former self and being powerless to stop it. A good treatment could make a really chilling contemporary tragedy.
GMD
watch this
Why not just do a Hawking biography and be done with it?
That could be a good film. I don't honestly know anything about his life story but 'getting to know him' and what he's accomplished through a movie might be a good way for people to stop thinking of him as that poor 'wheelchair guy' and see him as something more.
GMD
watch this
Read this brief summary about Alan Turing's life.
A serious, well written script documenting his incredible, tragic life would make A Beautiful Mind seem about as powerful as Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (not to knock Pee-Wee's Big Adventure - great movie, it's just no tour de force).
"Actor Robert De Niro is inviting screenwriters with an interest in science to send their scripts to his film production company."
"Two winning writers will get financial assistance, along with help developing their scripts from filmmakers and scientists. At least one of the scripts will be read at De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival in 2003, and a film based on one of the screenplays will debut at the 2004 festival."
Aside from the inane comments of Doron Weber, this sounds like a great opportunity for aspiring screenplay writers. And I love the fact that they are promoting science (definitely something in this country that needs MASSIVE PROMOTION!)
I do hope that De Niro stays away from the "Hackers" / "Gen X" type kiddie movies that promote large corporations and their view, rather than the truth; and goes for something serious and honest... maybe a story based on Kevin Mitnick or something chronicling the birth of the Internet (definitely room for characterization...) or a comedy based on BOFH.
All movies, even light-hearted comic romances, should have Joe Peschi beaten severely and buried alive.
You mis-spelled his name. It's P-a-u-l-y S-h-o-r-e.
GMD
watch this
An oscar means her never having to take her clothes off again.
Not unless she wants to, of course. Dare to dream.
In the future, I would want to not be isolated from my friends in the Space Station.
Want a pitch, a subject, and a title in one word? Okay...
TESLA
Most fascinating scientist in history, I think. Imagine Johnny Depp, in period costume, having a violent epileptic fit in Central Park, then half-consciously carving the diagram for the alternating current generator into the dirt with a stick. Then getting hounded by the government and lesser mortals the rest of his life, inventing everything of any consequence and getting no credit for it. Tragic story, Oscar material all the way.
Read "Man out of Time," if you haven't. And shame be unto you, for not having read it yet.
Potential tag lines: "The man who created the world," or "Never have so many owed so much... To one."
Potential final statement, white words on black screen:
"In 19XX, a federal appeals court ruled that Nikolai Tesla, and not Marconi, was the actual inventor of radio."
(cross-fade)
"The final Edison direct-current generator was taken offline in 19XX. No further experiment or trial in direct current residential voltage has ever been attemped."
(cross-fade)
"Fringe scientists continue to pursue Tesla's dream of providing free electricty to all peoples and places of the world via the Tesla Coil."
(cross-fade)
"The thousands of pages of handwritten notes produced throughout the final years of Tesla's life continue to be classified at the highest levels of secrecy ever assigned to any government document."
(cross-fade)
"It is extremely unlikely that any will ever be made public."
"Oh, well I'm sorry if you don't appreciate my random murders!" - Crow T. Robot,
On the other hand, Bob, if you are reading this, and you are serious about doing Feynman, I will coach you in how to act like a scientist. The training will take up to five years, and when it is finished, you will be a scientist, so it won't be difficult to act like one.