Voice Over edited by Henrik Anttonen
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| Issue 2/2003 Contents |
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INT. Voice Over
Interview with Richard Nathan
Reviews:
Men In Black (Early Draft)
The President's Brain Is Missing

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| INT. Voice Over |
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Well, here it is, the second issue of Voice Over. This was even harder to do than the first one because I was kind of expecting contributions by now and only five days before the final deadline I realised that not a single story was ready. Well, nothing to it, I just had to get to work and got it ready in time as you can see. Well, I did have the interview started and I had an idea as to what I'm going to review so it was all a case of just sitting down and writing this thing.

And now, a plea: Please do contribute. I was planning this to be a kind of joint effort between me and you readers. I'm sure you have at least ideas. Ideas are as welcome as actual texts. And I would appreciate hints about interviews. Is there anyone or anything specific that you feel would be interesting to read about? Drop a line and I see what I can do. But if you suggest big names like George Lucas or Charlie Chaplin, I'd suggest you also give me their contact addresses since those are hardly easy to approach. Also, if you have articles you yourself would like to write or do interviews yourself, or review something, Voice Over is open. Actually, Voice Over is open for everything as long as it's related to scripts. Suggest, write, do anything and it will be highly appreciated.

I know this is kind of boring editorial this time, but my second subject is a plea for help as well. I was kind of disappointed that not even my promotion attempts brought many subscribers. There are about 20 of you out there now, but more is desperately needed. This is a hard work doing a magazine like this and I would appreciate more attention. I think my announcements of this were regarded as ordinary spam and were just ignored. So as I'm not asking any of you to promote the magazine in any violent way, I'd appreciate a line here and there so that there would be more subscribers. Some of my plans require more. I'm not revealing anything yet though.

But, from begging your help, I'll move on to what this issue has to offer. This is a bit shorter issue than the first one was, not only because of the lack of contributions, but also because I've been fairly busy with my virtual series. We do, however, have a massive interview with Richard Nathan who I found most interesting to talk with. Well, "talk" anyway. I also wrote a couple of reviews of scripts I have enjoyed. This is also the classic second effort after the big premier, so that's also the reason for the lack of size. I do however hope that it is no less enjoyable than the first one was.

Oh, and one last thing. Funny thing. Well, not that funny if you think about it. After the launch of Voice Over, I've been flooded with classic Nigerian con mails. It's almost amazing since they come to my private address and not to Voice Over's and that is not listed anywhere in the site. They must've taken it from last editorial. What's funny about it is the fact that they think I'm running a big business. Nice promotion from an editor from a low-profile email magazine.

This also reminds me: Do remember that I'm flooded with spam so if you send email to me, be sure to use subjects I recognise coming from real people. I not only delete spams, but block their source, so there is a danger of getting blocked.

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| Interview with Richard Nathan |
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I usually write the introductions to the interviewed myself, but since he wrote such a thorough introduction himself, I'll just use his own.

Richard Nathan: I'm 53, and I earn a living as an attorney in the entertainment industry. I'm under an exclusive employment contract, so people should not bother to ask me if I'll work for them; I can't work for anyone else under the terms of my employment contract.

The first full length script I wrote was "STAN STARBURST.. BEYOND THE STRATOSPHERE!!!" This was originally a musical comedy (stage, not film), with music by Steven Stucker (who some may remember from his role as an air traffic controller in the comedy classic film "Airport") and lyrics co-written by myself and Alan Hubbs. I don't have permission from Alan to use his lyrics on my site, so I put up a non-musical version on the site (www.richard-nathan-scripts.com). I was inspired to write "STAN STARBURST" after watching an old Flash Gordon serial. It's been performed many times, including at the fringe of the Edinburgh Festival, where it was very well received.

I've had one film script produced. That script isn't on my web site. I discuss it briefly in one of my answers below.

Before I became a lawyer, I briefly tried to make a living as an actor. I failed. I was in two very awful films - "Meateater" (not a porn film, although it sounds like one) and "Deep Jaws" (a soft core sex comedy). Due to these films, I can be found on the IMDB (the Internet Movie Data Base).

My favorite of all my scripts is "The American Son Versus Hitler" (a film script). It's an original work, but I'll admit it was inspired in part by J.D. Salinger's short story "The Laughing Man" and to a lesser degree by William Goldman's novel "The Princess Bride."

Voice Over: You've also written many a series of short plays under the title Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater. What is Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater? And is it just your own project or is there others involved? Do you release scripts under the title in regular intervals or just when you happen to write one?

Richard Nathan: It's solely my project. It comes from my love of pop culture. The earliest inspiration for "Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater" goes back to my days as a drama student at U.S.C. In 1970 or 1971, I was in a play based on Ray Bradbury's "The Martian Chronicles." (This was not the stage adaptation that Bradbury himself later penned - though it was authorized by Bradbury and 99% of the words came directly from Bradbury's book.) I was inspired by how well this piece worked on the stage; it was marvellously entertaining - nothing profound - just good, solid entertainment. Many years later, I wrote a series of horror short stories for the stage entitled "PLAYHOUSE OF THE DAMNED." The inspirations were the Bradbury play from U.S.C., E.C. line of horror comics from the 1950's (such as "Tales From The Crypt"), and radio horror plays (such as "Inner Sanctum"). Finally, late in 2002, I decided to do a Sci-Fi version of "Playhouse of the Damned." The inspirations for "Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater" were the Bradbury play from U.S.C., the E.C. line of science fiction comics (such as "Incredible Science Fiction"), and radio scifi plays (such as "X Minus One"). I wrote all the stories that are posted for "SCIENCE FICTION BLAST-OFF THEATER" over the space of a couple of months. I hope to post some more later, when I can think of some more plots.

Voice Over: You've written screenplays as well, but there are numerous plays in your website released. How did you end up writing plays when it's not that popular these days?

Richard Nathan: I've always liked plays. As you can see from my site, I'm a huge Shakespeare buff. But the main reason I write plays is that it is much easier to get them produced. I'm not aware of any productions of "Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater," - but every other play I've written has been produced; most of them have had multiple productions. I've only had one of my film scripts produced, and it has never been released in the United States. It's a sex comedy called "Laughing It Up" (also known as "In Search Of A Woman"). I believe it's been released in Latin America, but never in the U.S. - not even on home video. That is horrendously frustrating.

Voice Over: How do you feel when you see your play or script performed? Do you have a clear idea of the performance so you might not like the ones the actors deliver?

Richard Nathan: I try to keep an open mind, and permit the directors and actors to surprise me. Sometimes I am pleasantly surprised - sometimes not so pleasantly. I always have an idea of what I imagine the performance would be like - but I never believe my idea is the only way a play can be done.

Voice Over: When you have an idea for a script to develop, is there any usual process between the idea and the finished script?

Richard Nathan: Usually, I try to work out the entire plot before I begin writing the actual script, but that doesn't always happen. Because I'm lazy, my scripts tend to come out short, so it helps to work out some plot points before I write.

Voice Over: Many writers have special love-hate relationship with writing. How do you feel about the physical work?

Richard Nathan: I wish I had more time for the physical work. Unfortunately, my job as an attorney is taking up more and more of my time. I need to make more time for my writing. Once I sit down at my P.C., I usually have a great time, until I get stuck at some point in a script, where I can't resolve a particular problem. Then it's torture. I have a parody of "Dracula" up on my web site, but I don't have an ending yet. I'm three scenes into a parody of Shakespeare's "RICHARD III" (not yet up on my site). I love the first three scenes, but I'm having horrible problems with scene 4. I don't know if my problem is that I don't have sufficient time to work these problems out, or if I'd still have the problems if I had more time. I know I wish I had the time to find out the answer.

Voice Over: When you write, do you require special conditions? Do you have any certain rituals you do when you write or can you write anytime, anywhere?

Richard Nathan: I can sketch out a plot anywhere, when I have a decent block of time. I like to write dialogue on my P.C.; provided I have a decent block of time. I don't have any rituals. For some of my parodies, it helps to steep myself in the source material. When I was writing "A NIGHT IN ELSINORE" I listened to "Hamlet" again and again and again. When I was writing "Science Fiction Blast-Off Theater" I read a lot of E.C. scifi comics and listened to a lot of "X-Minus One" radio shows. I didn't steal anything (at least not anything that hasn't already been used in many other stories - it's not theft if dozens of people sue it). I like to use plot elements that have become genre clichés and add my own original twists.

Voice Over: What software do you use to write your scripts and why?

Richard Nathan: Just Microsoft word. It's all I need. And I use Microsoft Front Page to put them up on my web site.

Voice Over: How did you end up writing in the first place?

Richard Nathan: I think the earliest influence was my father making up bed time stories to tell me, rather than reading them from a book. I thought that was great. I think I also spent too much time watching television, which gave me a love of pop culture. And I definitely spent too much time reading comic books, which are essentially illustrated scripts. I wrote a lot of sketches in high school and college, but didn't write a full length script until one of my professors asked me to team up with two other students to adapt a short scifi parody I'd written for a class. The result was "STAN STARBURST... BEYOND THE STRATOSPHERE!!!" with plot and dialogue by Richard Nathan (me), lyrics by Alan Hubbs and Richard Nathan, and music by Steve Stucker. There's a non musical version on my web site.

Voice Over: Do you participate in the internet community in any other way than releasing your scripts and answering these questions?

Richard Nathan: I'm a passionate Shakespeare fan, and I spend a lot of time (probably too much time) at a Shakespeare newsgroup. (humanities.lit.authors.shakespeare) I also pursue other interests on the internet - liberal politics and Buffy The Vampire slayer fandom.

Voice Over: Has releasing scripts freely brought any production offers?

Richard Nathan: I get lots of inquiries from student groups and from non professional companies, asking if they can put on my stage plays. I always say yes and never charge anything. Sometimes some small companies have paid me a small royalty. But I've never received an offer to have any of my on-line film scripts professionally produced as films (although there have been some staged readings.

Voice Over: Is there any future plans of getting your scripts produced you know of?

Richard Nathan: My Shakespeare parodies are produced the most often. I believe someone in England is producing "A Night In Elsinore" this summer.

Voice Over: What do you usually read?

Richard Nathan: I belong to a workshop where we read professional film scripts that are actually being produced. The group has sources in the industry that get actual scripts from studios. We decide what works and what doesn't. Unfortunately, most of the scripts are awful. Still, reading them is educational. My wife (another former drama student) and I read them out loud, which is fun. We recently read "Taking Sides" by the guy who wrote "The Pianist." That was a GREAT script. The film has been released in Europe, but not in the U.S. I hope it gets released here soon. That was the best script I've read in a long, long time. I also read lots of novels, plays and comic books. The best novel I've read recently was "My Father Had A Daughter," which is a fictional treatment of Shakespeare's daughter Judith. As I've said a number of times already, I'm a fiend for Shakespeare. One more thing - the book that helped me most as a writer was William Goldman's "THE SEASON." It's about Broadway - but it's helped me as both a stage script writer and as a film script writer.

Voice Over: Since you've been reading scripts a lot, have you found any writers that stand up from the mass?

Richard Nathan: In the workshop I attend, we don't usually see more than one script by the same author. We did read a few Shane Black scripts a few years ago. He writes as though he were speaking directly to the reader, very conversationally, but does it in a manner that calls attention to itself. Sometimes it's annoying; it sounds like he's a show-off. (I'm talking about the non-dialogue parts of a script - what is called state directions in a play - I'm not sure what it is called in a script.) William Goldman also uses a lot of "cleverness" in his stage directions, but he never goes overboard like Shane black does. Or is it Shayne?

Voice Over: Do you also write in other than script formats?

Richard Nathan: I write contracts all day long. That's become painfully boring. I don't write novels, or short stories, or poems. I enjoy writing abuse. I go to the Shakespeare newsgroup I mentioned earlier and abuse the idiots who think someone other than William Shakespeare wrote the works that are credited to William Shakespeare.

You can find Richard Nathan's selected works from www.richard-nathan-scripts.com

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Review by T. Henrik Anttonen
(henrikanttonen@hotmail.com)

NAME: Men In Black
WRITTEN BY: by Lowell Cunningham & Ed Soloman
PRODUCED: Yes
DRAFT: Early draft (First?)
FILE FORMAT: .txt
URL: http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/MIB_rough.txt

I chose to write this to be the first review to Voice Over, because this really represents all that is rotten with Hollywood industry these days. This is a sad story about great and really funny movie turned into a faceless, utterly boring and stupid one.
The script really has some brilliant characters in it which are omitted from the final product. What really stroke as great was Dave, the faster than light moving delivery boy who comes before you ask him. This brings some great moments to the script like when he brings equipment and after he's gone they call him and asking him to deliver it.
There is also difference in the aliens. They are basically inventive and funny like the big alien that freezes people to strange positions but not doing any significant damage. That's a lot better than the one just killing everyone on sight on the final movie.
But what makes an immense difference between the two versions, is the character Jay. Clearly Will Smith wasn't yet casted to the movie and that's nothing but in favour of the script. In the place of the uncoolly over-cool Smith character is actually a funny character of a recruit whose dream is to take a bullet for the president. The character is actually almost sympathetic and way better than the usual idiot that Will Smith always is in movies. The movie begins with how the big dream of him graduating is shattered when his name isn't called for a graduation.
Instead, he gets a call for the odd secret service of extra-terrestrial relations who try to hide the existence of extra-terrestrials and keep the aliens actually happy on planet earth at the same time.
The sad thing about the script in general release is the fact that it's a very bad scan and sometimes you just have to guess what's in the script. But if you can manage it, I advice you to read this one if you're interested at all.

(And now, a confession: I haven't fished the script because I'm in a big hurry and because it's a bad scan. So if I'm missing something important or writing bullshit, let me know. Or better, write another review.)

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Review by T. Henrik Anttonen
(henrikanttonen@hotmail.com)

NAME: The Presidents Brain Is Missing
WRITTEN BY: Josh Becker
PRODUCED: No
DRAFT: Latest, I presume
FILE FORMAT: .txt & .html
URL: Doc: http://www.beckerfilms.com/PresidentsBrain.zip
Html: http://www.beckerfilms.com/PresidentsBrain-p1.htm

And at the end of the day, what could be more fun than mocking the republicans! I have to warn you though, this review does contain some spoilers that give away parts of the plot. And also some political opinions which you may or may not agree. Consider yourselves warned.

This is quite a hilarious, but also a warm story of a young republican president that has become the most successful ever with the rise of the big companies, the doubling of crime rates and cuts from health care and education.

After he spends billions of dollars for revolutionary military planes (so that we could destroy the earth not only 4.4, but 5 times!) that actually are defect and cause general mayhem during the initial testing and killing two people in the process (but fortunately they were only civilians), he finds out he has to cut down the funding on health services, and by that he indirectly kills his old friend.

This, the kind of first act of the movie is one of the most hilarious ones I've read for a while. Becker doesn't miss a chance to pour dirt to the republicans. I understand this was written when Clinton was president, so this might be even more hilarious now.

After getting an invitation to his friends' funeral by his wife, he starts to understand what he is doing and escapes the white house to attend the funeral.

At this time, the movie turns to a quite conventional road-movie describing the presidents' attempts to get to the funeral. There are great scenes and side characters like the repressed Indian. Becker also creates great scenes where the president is hiding from police to not to recognise him.

This middle section of the script is quite different in atmosphere than the first one. It's still funny, but the comedy is more subtle this time. At this point, the script starts to deal with the facts of life and at the same time shooting down the republicans who clearly doesn't have a clue about what it really is out there. It also follows the presidents' development and growth out from republicans.

The last section of the film is again quite different than the two earlier. The president gets to the funeral where he meets his late friends' wife and son and decides to stay with them for good.

The last act is unfortunately the weakest of the script. Soon it forms up to a classic love story between the president and his late friends' wife. That struck me as odd the minute a realized what was going on because it was just a couple of days from the funeral. That's hardly appropriate behaviour if you ask me and creates the weakest spot on the script.

Well, everyone's happy and all is well, so naturally it can't last. He is found and the CIA drags him back to the white house. A bit later on he holds a speech to fellow republicans, questioning the republican politics with very good arguments. It did however remind me of the famous speech in Chaplin's The Great Dictator. Not the speech, but the situation.

But despite the inconsistent last act, this is truly a fine script. I don't know if republicans can enjoy this at all, but maybe it would be healthy for them to read it as well.
To all fellow haters of republicans, I can honestly recommend this one. And of course to all who like to read a good comedy without taking a politic stand. This is one of the best unproduced screenplays I've read.

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| End of Voice Over issue 2/2003 |
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