tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post7659097263698389463..comments2024-03-05T17:26:44.559-08:00Comments on Roman's Movie Reviews and Musings: Movie Musing: Going Ape for a TrilogyRoman J. Martelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-24356365597291884952017-08-08T21:04:20.200-07:002017-08-08T21:04:20.200-07:00I had never heard that story about Mark Twain, and...I had never heard that story about Mark Twain, and not heard of "A Medieval Romance" either. But I can totally understand his sentiment. I've worked on several stories where I was unable to craft a satisfactory ending. Usually it because I write myself into a corner or haven't really crafted something that builds well enough. Landing the ending is pretty difficult.<br /><br />Trilogies just feel right when they work together well. But they usually falter somewhere in that last episode, and that is why it is surprising when they click. These Apes films certainly pull it off. Word on the street is that they want to make more, but I do hope that they give us some space after the events of "War". There are plenty of stories to tell, maybe even a Maurice centric storyline. But I would love them to take their time and really come up with something great instead of rushing it and we end up with something like "The Matrix" trilogy.Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-40276855302517217132017-08-08T16:07:12.820-07:002017-08-08T16:07:12.820-07:00As opposed to a series (ala “The Thin Man” series,...As opposed to a series (ala “The Thin Man” series, which has the same characters but doesn’t have a defined story arc), a trilogy is a great format with the proper material and with the condition that that each entry has some merit as a standalone film. It mirrors the standard Three Act format of single movie: I) set up the characters and situation, II) get the characters into a fix out of which they can’t possibly get, and III) get them out of it. It applies to most prose fiction, too, though Mark Twain once defied reader expectations in the crossdressing “A Medieval Romance” by giving up at the end of II: “The truth is, I have got my hero (or heroine) into such a particularly close place, that I do not see how I am ever going to get him (or her) out of it again--and therefore I will wash my hands of the whole business, and leave that person to get out the best way that offers--or else stay there. I thought it was going to be easy enough to straighten out that little difficulty, but it looks different now.”<br /><br />I haven’t seen these films through yet, but it’s good to know the elements came together. All around well-crafted movies and trilogies (on occasion tetralogies, though these usually are examples of studios milking a franchise) are rare enough to deserve a shout-out.<br />Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.com