Lana Wachowski, writer of the new blockbuster film Cloud Atlas (2012) appeared to come out of left field as an innovative, exciting new writer in the movie field. However, Lana is not a new writer. In fact, Lana is the new identity of famed writer Larry Wachowski (one half of the Wachowski brothers) now that she has undergone sex reassignment surgery. There are not many (known) transgendered people in the public eye, given that it has historically been a taboo and controversial subject over the years. However, with a new generation comes new awakenings, and the public eye has grown to become slightly more accepting to people who are transgendered as well as the rest of the LGBT community. But is society ready yet for this in-your-face version of what we knew as Larry Wachowski? With her most recent film, Lana has decidedly tried to shed light on the troubles transgendered and LGB people have in society. What she hopes is to create an understanding that will allow people to break down the walls of the LGBT taboo that has long since held in this country. She may go down in history as a true pioneer who opened the doors to equality for LGBT people in the United States and the world. However, there is always the chance that she may fail. To note, failure does not occur if people get angry at her films or protest against her. Martyrs are often made from hatred, and the more people hate Lara’s films, the greater chance that she will go down in history as a pioneer. The only way that Lara can fail is if LGBT issues become the sole definition of her career. If she begins to focus on the issues that only influence her life, she risks being seen as selfish and a foghorn for her own personal happiness. This will not influence many- it will be seen as preaching to the choir. Only by keeping herself open to the issues that are faced by others, will Lara be able to create art that is insightful, poignant and groundbreaking.
Up until her role as Liam Neeson’s daughter in the epic action/adventure film Taken (2008), she was mostly unknown by the public- with only a few jobs in mostly unknown films. However, with one lucky break she was able to exponentially grow her career, giving her opportunities in other major motion pictures (i.e. the Twilight Saga). Her career is still up to grabs at this moment, but she has been given a boost that may help her get a foothold in the A-list. All it takes is for her to pick her films carefully for the ones that challenge her the most.
Alan Arkin has been termed a modern “renaissance man” by many critics and fans worldwide (IMDB.com, 2012). Given his impressive artistic resume in addition to his wonderfully diverse acting career, that is definitely not far from the truth. In addition to being in such ground breaking films as Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), Gattaca (1997) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006); Arkin is also a triumphant musician who co-created the original version of the “Banana Boat” song which has worldwide recognition. Needless to say, Arkin has truly turned his artistic passions into his work. Unlike many actors who ebb and flow with the changing tides of stardom, Arkin has consistently found work and made a name for himself as one of the most well-received actors of this generation. The key to his success is truly a mystery but it may have something to do with the way he approaches his acting. Arkin was quoted saying-
“It’s not enough for me to just be a personality and go up there and say lines nicely. I want to tell a story with a character.”
Alan Arkin, IMDB.com
The key element of this statement is not in what he is saying, but the message we get from what he isn’t saying. By saying that he wants to tell a story with a character, he is defining his own purpose versus what the public or investors want from him. Instead of making his art about meeting other people’s expectations, Arkin has chosen to meet his own expectations instead (which are profoundly higher than what anyone else can expect from him). By doing this, he has won. His constant self-evaluation has created an even better actor than anyone could have possibly shaped him into. For screenwriters, keep in mind that the best actors will be attracted to the most attractive scripts that help them grow and challenge themselves. Be sure to put your heart into your work so you can attract actors who put their hearts into it as well.
Liam Neeson, star of the new epic action/adventure film Taken 2 (2012) is sure to be considered A-list royalty for years to come. He has been able to wear many hats throughout his career, from bad guy to good guy, angel to demon, father-type to sex icon. No matter what role Neeson takes on, he grabs his audiences’ attention with his good looks, charm and devastatingly honest demeanor. In short, he’s the guy who you can trust to take care of your kids, give you advice or to save you from any predicament. And that is what the world loves to see in their leading men. Films
(2012) Taken 2
(2012) The Dark Knight Rises
(2012) Battleship
(2012) Wrath of the Titans
(2011) The Grey
(2011) Unknown
(2010) The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Tyler Perry is among many everyday Americans who have come from poverty to wealthy entrepreneurs thanks to their talent and good ol’ capitalism. Perry came from a poor family background and began writing as a way to relieve himself from depression and stress. Lo and behold, it turned out that Perry was actually a very talented writer and he began his journey to creating scripts that ended up becoming very popular films. The Madea franchise has consistently made a profit while some of his more daring projects (i.e. Colored Girls (2010)) have become critically acclaimed hits. By taking his own life experiences into his stories, Perry was able to find an audience of hundreds of thousands of people who appreciated his style and perhaps, recognized similarities between their own childhood and his. His style of comedy infused with some drama have made him a very compelling director that can also be lighthearted. Writing is a personal journey that can take you to many places. By utilizing journals or your computer word processor, you can relieve stress and ease depression; while some of us may create the next new blockbuster hit.
The young irish rogue, Cillian Murphy, has created an image of himself as a seductive yet dangerous villian. From his role as “The Scarecrow” aka Jonathan Crane from the new Batman series, his odd muscular structure and penetrating eyes have captured audiences as someone who is NOT to be trusted.
This is a great opportunity for Murphy because a villain is often as difficult to find as a hero in the film industry. However, he has diversified his interests in other roles such as his breakthrough hero role in 28 Days Later (2002) which utilized his same features to show a character that was desperately suffering in a post-apocalyptic world.
There’s no telling where Murphy’s career will settle as he has been all over the place in terms of roles. He can be humorous, villainous and serious which are all traits of a long-term actor.
Actors who hope for long term fame would do well to research the films that this particular actor has on his resume.
Richard Donner has been the magician behind some of the greatest action movies of this century, including The Goonies (1985) and the Lethal Weapon series. Below are some of the films that he has been a part of- most of them being highly successful films that have carried on as symbols of their definitive time period. Donner’s career has been full of wonderful films of which he proudly wears. His career speaks volumes of his ability to create a fascinating piece of work that engages and interacts with audiences in a way that leaves them pleased.
The perfect girl next door, Elizabeth Shue easily found her way into the film industry with her good looks, bright smile and innocent personality. From her first major role in The Karate Kid (1984), she has found steady work playing innocent, good natured and heart warming characters. She was bound to be typecast as this good natured character until she won the role of Sera in the critically acclaimed film, Leaving Las Vegas (1995). The role completely defied the stereotypical characters that she had been used to playing, and she found a new challenge playing a prostitute in this dangerous, heart wrenching film. The challenge was met, and the rest is history. Shue was nominated for an Academy Award, which skyrocketed her career and opened many doors for future film roles. She continues to work on many different types of films from dramas to comedies, as well as in horror.
Creating an animation/live action film is a difficult task that few directors take on, due to its time-consuming nature and the fact that the director requires technical directors to help with the animation process (unless he or she has experience with directing animation). It can be troublesome to say the least, but when done well- it can become a wonderful journey that many people will appreciate.
The list below consists of the top five animation/live action films.
