Weird… I’ve never had that happen before. You may see more weird stuff so be prepared. LOL.

Unk

It’s ALL good.

Unk

Let me restate my post:
The Lookout didn’t take advantage of the protag’s memory-loss situation nearly as much as Memento did. Memory loss didn’t become a huge player in the story. However, I understand that simply having the character have memory problems causes people to compare the movie to Memento. Isn’t that what I was doing in my earlier comment? lol

In fact, I think the fix would’ve been very simple. Remove the notebook and the time-sequencing bullshit, and make Prett slightly more crippled in the limb department, and all would’ve been fine. Instead of being a character with many random problems, including memory loss, he’d simply be a cripple with slight brain problems. Forget the memory loss crap. If it’s not going to be a huge part of the story, and if it draws similarities to other, superior flicks, then it can be disposed of for the movie’s own sake.
I’d feel otherwise if I felt like they handled the notebook and time-sequencing well, but I don’t feel that way. Like many others, I feel like Memento did a better job at handling this — The Lookout treated memory loss as a trivial tacked on character quality.

So yes, I’d have to agree that the movie shouldn’t have been released as-is. Memory losit surely wasn’t worth enough to harm the movie’s success.

Cool… Now you understand. LOL. Remember, I never said THE LOOKOUT wasn’t a decent flick. I never said it was a knock-off of MEMENTO. I simply said it reminded me of MEMENTO and if I have learned anything about this business, it’s this…

If you want to release a movie that will obviously draw comparisons of a well known movie, release it on DVD and the budget better be fucking cheap as hell… LOL. Under a couple of million at a minimum. This way, you don’t get too hurt financially and if you can pull it off for under a mil (like many direct to DVD flicks are), the COMPARISONS can actually help when it comes to profits.

However, if you’re going to release a movie that is definitely going to see theater play/boxoffice that will obviously draw comparisons of a well known movie, it also has to be made very cheaply and the majority of reviews better say it’s BETTER than such and such movie that it’s been compared to. Unless you can create a huge — no, make that MASSIVE buzz, the numbers say it just isn’t worth it. If you can make it for 2 mil and under — then maybe you’ve got a slim chance to get in the black but again, it’s those comparisons that will often dictate that.

Of course the same thing can happen with a shit movie that you cannot draw comparisons with a much better movie.

We already know this — happens every week just about. So KNOWING that and releasing a movie that will undoubtedly have comparisons drawn to a movie with a great reputation — well let’s just say that movie better fucking ROCK.

THE LOOKOUT doesn’t ROCK.

It’s not bad. I can tell that Frank loved the concept. I could tell he really knew his characters… I’m SURE it was a very well written screenplay and of course it’s well directed. With ALL THESE PLUSES, why didn’t it ROCK? Why didn’t it make BANK?

You tell me… LOL.

karel,

I haven’t read SAVE THE CAT in a long time so I really don’t remember what he said… But the lesson you mention is correct.

Carlo,

First you said: “I just finished watching The Lookout and I must say… it’s nothing at all like Memento. I mean, sure, the similarities are there — the guy has trouble remembering things and whatnot, but it doesn’t really play out too much in the plot.”

So you did see the similarities… Correct?

But then you say: “It was a good movie and, while Memento is better, I don’t see the similarities.”

So which is it, my brother? LOL.

Just playing with you… I think I know what you mean because then you say: “Even the subtle producer-worrying ones (other than the protag having trouble remembering some things, which didn’t affect the plot).”

Let me just tell you this… Our production company wouldn’t have released it as is. Plain and simple and because of those tiny similarities. Too much money at risk to fuck it up with something that can be taken care of beforehand.

Thomas R.,

I agree… Dilemmas, if played correctly — salt and peppered throughout the story — force the Protagonist to MAKE DECISIONS.

These decisions gotta hurt whether he chooses one way or another… The more they hurt and WE SEE that they hurt, the more I’ll invest in that story.

Unk

my young protag has a character flaw that is also part of the theme of the story.

I think the more dilemmas you put in your story the more satisfied a smart director gets with your story. at least I would pleased as a director. If you look at Leon – The Professional. There are several situation where the protag has to decide. One at the beginning where he has to decide whether on to take in the girl (suspense is intense in that scene) and he has only a really short time to think about it. Luc Besson stretched that scene to a maximum. The bad guy starts to suspect there is something wrong with that girl knocking on the door and Leon still thinks. He eventually takes her in in the last second. This sets off the story.

I think the more personal a dilemma is the better you can relate. Just to save the world because it is right to do that is not enough. It is flat out boring. To save the world because it saves your girlfriend a lot more. still generic but better. now to save the world because your girlfriend is pregnant with your baby makes it really personal.

what makes Die Hard so great is that John McLane doesnt start off shooting the terrorists down one by one. He first tries to set off fire alarm, calls Police on the radio and even shoots at a police car. He does everything in his power to get help. He only actually kills the first few terrorists in self defense while trying to get help. Only later he grows to be John Wayne, larger than life character. His call to action had to grow to him.

It was a good movie and, while Memento is better, I don’t see the similarities. Even the subtle producer-worrying ones (other than the protag having trouble remembering some things, which didn’t affect the plot).

I guess the lesson from all this: it goes to show how fundamentally different your movie should be from anything that has been done within memory (excuse the pun).

BTW: what did you all think of Blake Snyder’s comments on Memento in Save The Cat?