Bad Guys are People Too

Constructing an antagonist is almost more complicated than creating your protagonist. Why? Because the audience has to believe that the bad guy has real motivations for their actions. No matter what atrocities they commit, the antagonist always has to believe that what they are doing is right.

The Avengers offers a great example of this in the character of Loki. As actor Tom Hiddleston said in an interview,

Well, I think he genuinely believes in his kind of motivation, which is that the human race is busy fighting each other. The planet Earth is rife with war and if the human race was united by the reverence of one king, he would create peace. It’s hopelessly deluded and misguided, but he’s also a character that’s also brought up with the expectation of his entitlement.”

So although Loki is incredibly misguided and is actually bringing about the destruction of the Earth, he truly in his heart believes that he is the hero of this story. And that’s the key – no one sees themselves as a villain, not even the actual villain of the story.

Not only does ensuring that your protagonist has a meaningful, even relatable or understandable motivation make him or her more realistic and believable, but it also makes them more complex, prompting the audience to be more interested in the conflict with the protagonist.

Dexter is another great example of a “bad guy” with believable motivations – in fact, he isn’t even the antagonist. Somehow the writers on Dexter have managed to create a protagonist who, as a serial killer, is essentially a “villain”, yet the audience still roots for him every week. Check out this article discussing why and let me know what you think. What are some other examples of “bad guys” who have this sort of believable depth and motivation, arguably making them into possible “good guys”?

Specs & The City: Bad Guy Protagonist and ‘Dexter’
Brad Johnson @ Scriptmag

So you think that bad guys can only be Antagonists? Think again. They’re just as multi-faceted as the good guys these days. One day, when you least expect it, you’ll realize the script idea rolling around in that brain of yours is crying out to have a bad guy protagonist at the heart of the story. But how do you put someone like that at the center of your script and expect the audience to go along for the ride? Audiences like to cheer for the good guys, right? Actually, what they really like to cheer for is a character with whom they identify. On some level – any level – if the audience can catch a glimpse of themselves inside the character, then you’re golden.”

Industry Trends: Looking at 2012

As we look back at the biggest hits and biggest flops of 2012, there is a lot we can learn about industry trends and what works right now in film. The following article helps boil down a lot of information and makes some interesting projections about the future of film making in 2013 and beyond.

In particular, there have been some interesting developments in terms of:

Foreign markets and foreign (especially French) film influence
The draw of a-list directors and the lack of women directors
Genre formulas – and breaking out of them
Peak seasons and the possibility of having hits outside of them
The growth of smaller, even independent projects in mid-budget wide releases

One other pretty obvious trend that is only mentioned in passing in the article is the prevalence of the re-make/re-boot/sequel. Viewers are growing more and more aware of this approach of re-packaging and re-releasing successful films or other cultural products, to the point where there has been a good deal of criticism of it. Despite this call for more original work, I am not so sure that this trend will abate anytime soon. What do you think?

Have you noticed any other trends in the film industry over the past year? Where do you think films will go in 2013?

Take a look at the full article here:

Tops and Flops of 2012 Box Office – Lessons Learned
Tom Brueggemann @ Indiewire

On the surface 2012 doesn’t look like a game-changer, after a decade of film business upheaval. In many ways the top fifteen top-grossers are all-too familiar–sequels, tentpoles, animated family fare and a comedy. But dig into the hits a bit and there are developments that could change how future films get made.”

Top Ten of Twenty Twelve

I would be remiss if I did not post my Top Ten Films of 2012 list, and what a better way to start up the reboot of Mewling Quim. Now, I of course haven’t seen every single film that came out this year, but I saw a good deal of them, so here is my judgement. I’d be delighted to hear your top ten lists, or your thoughts on mine.

1. The Avengers (Joss Whedon)

I think it’s pretty much a no-brainer that The Avengers would be my favorite film of the year, if not of all time. This box office smash has an incredible ensemble cast, compelling action sequences, stunning visuals, and above all, phenomenal writing. I just rewatched this film last night and I am truly astonished at the clever, quick-witted, and sarcastically humorous quips that all fit impeccably with the different characters. This is, of course, all thanks to the incredible Joss Whedon.

2. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)

I’ve always loved Tarantino films, but Django goes beyond what he has done in the past. Not only does this film tell a touching love story that is not overdone, but it also includes all the badassery you would expect from Tarantino. I’m not one to flinch at violence, but the true brutality of some of the scenes in this film were hard for even me to watch, reflecting the horrors of slavery around which the narrative centers. Pair that with an impeccable and clever performance from Christoph Waltz, a terrifyingly real one from Leonardo DiCaprio, and a better-than-expected one from Jamie Foxx, and you’ve got my #2 pick for the year.

3. The Cabin in the Woods (Joss Whedon)

Yes, another Joss Whedon film. It’s been an admittedly great year for the guy (including the stellar premiere of his adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing at the Toronto Film Festival leading it to be promptly picked up by Lionsgate and slated to be released in the near future). Cabin in the Woods reflects Whedon’s roots in his love for the monster-of-the-week spoof, appealing to horror film lovers of all kinds. I don’t want to say too much about this film because its greatness lies in its surprises, so if you haven’t seen it, just go watch it. You won’t regret it.

4. Looper (Rian Johnson)

Looper offers one of the year’s greatest serious sci-fi flicks, with all of the plot twists and mysteries you would expect from one. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is incredible and is an uncanny young Bruce Willis. As the film was written for Gordon-Levitt, is major shortcoming is that, once Willis got on board, Gordon-Levitt’s portrayal of the young Joe Simmons is a bit restricted by his need to also be a young Bruce Willis. While the acting from both parties is great, I wish I could have seen Joseph Gordon-Levitt play the character the way he would have originally. Also, the ending was both horrible and great at the same time – just the way I like them.

5. The Amazing Spider-man (Marc Webb)

Thank god somebody finally gave us a likeable Peter Parker. No offense to Toby Maguire, but he was almost too sniveling and insecure to play the witty Spiderman, with a penchant for sarcastic banter. Andrew Garfield on the other hand… I wants me some more of that. While Garfield is almost too cool to be the nerdy Peter Parker, but at least he brings out the cleverly sarcastic side of Spiderman. His portrayal is also emotionally honest, and Emma Stone plays his counterpart, Gwen Stacy (who is so much better than Mary Jane anyway) wonderfully. Although it is a bit awkward to find the balance between retelling Spiderman’s genesis story so soon after another trilogy with striking out into a new narrative, I almost feel as though that essential part of Peter Parker’s life gets skimmed over. Overall, a highly enjoyable film and I can’t wait to see the rest of the new trilogy.

6. The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan)

Okay, I’m a huge Batman fan. He’s my favorite (at least DC) super hero by far, and The Dark Knight (2008) was probably my favorite movie of all time, until this year when it was usurped by The Avengers. The Dark Knight Rises, however, while still totally enjoyable and almost as epic, really fell flat for me. Nolan needs to stop playing with voice alterations – it’s bad enough with Christian Bale as Batman, and I think it’s gotten worse, but why give Bane such a whiny voice? I wish I could have heard Tom Hardy’s delivery of the lines a bit better, as I’m sure he did an incredible job. Also, I am still entirely against Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. It’s just wrong. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was the saving grace of that film, and I hope to Odin they do some films with him as Robin.

7. Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore)

If you like video games – or even if you don’t – see this movie. Yeah, so it’s a kid’s movie, but sometimes they can be really great. Sure it’s a little predictable in terms of the plot, but that’s okay sometimes, especially when you get the hilarity of John C. Reilly and Jane Lynch involved. Pair that with great classic video game references and a fascinating world where characters in these games meet up for drinks at the bar after the arcade is closed, and you’ve got a solid 108 minutes of fun.

8. Les Misérables (Tom Hooper)

You may be surprised to see this film so low on my list, especially seeing as it is based on my favorite musical of all time. I was a bit perplexed by this film – I went into it expecting to love Hugh Jackman and hate Anne Hathaway (my hostility against her is probably unwarranted, but oh well), but I was surprised to find that, while Jackman’s performance was emotionally strong and resonant, his wonderful Broadway voice just does not translate well to film. Hathaway, on the other hand, provided the single best scene of the movie with her impeccably performed ‘I Dreamed a Dream’. I didn’t like the fact that I liked her. Plus, my favorite character, Eponine (Samantha Barks) was somewhat forgettable (although I recognized her from a TV special of the musical when she unfortunately played opposite a Jonas brother, for fuck’s sake), and Marius (Eddie Redmayne) was a little whiny not well-suited to the screen. But overall, this film was basically the musical on the big screen, which simply doesn’t work. Film is something completely different than the Broadway stage, and it should be treated as such.

9. Prometheus (Ridley Scott)

I was really excited for Prometheus. I re-watched all of the Alien films shortly before going to see it to make sure I wouldn’t miss any hints or references. Well, there were plenty of those, but so much of the film just didn’t make sense. The acting was great, the visuals were great, but the story somehow seems incomplete. I suppose this is likely on purpose, as I’m sure Scott will be continuing the franchise, but come on. Even if a film is part of a series, it has to be able to stand on its own.

10. The Hobbit (Peter Jackson)

It truly pains me to put this film at the bottom of my list. I was such a hardcore LOTR fan back in the day – I love the books, and I can’t even tell you how many (probably dozens) of times I’ve seen those films. The Hobbit isn’t bad, of course. It just isn’t great that either. The book is meant to be light and funny and it has an episodic structure as opposed to along epic narrative, so they felt the need to pull a super villain from the appendix to heighten the drama bit. But, I’m sorry, The Hobbit is about Bilbo, not Thorin Oakenshield. And it is Martin Freeman’s rendition of Bilbo that really saves this film – he successfully retains the goofiness of this children’s story amidst all the attempts to make it an epic tale like Lord of the Rings. (Also, side note: when you have a scene with such excellent actors as Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, and Hugo Weaving who can’t carry a scene because it is pure exposition and completely bores the audience, that is the writer’s fault. Rewrite it or cut it out altogether.)