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The obsessives' guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, movie music, soundtracks, DVDs and more.

Interviews

Writer Kelly Marcel Says 'Fifty Shades Of Grey' Will Be "Raunchy" NC-17 Rated Film

By Kevin Jagernauth
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January 8, 2013 3:52 PM
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5 Comments

News

One of the biggest sensations of last year was the "Twilight" fan fiction turned erotica sensation "Fifty Shades Of Grey," and it arguably is also one of the riskiest buys of 2012. Studios fought tooth and nail to get the rights to the bestseller, with Universal and Focus Features beating all comers, and ponying up $3 million dollars for the movie last spring. In the months that followed, the project gained "The Social Network" producers Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti, and "Saving Mr. Banks" and (uncredited) "Bronson" writer Kelly Marcel, all while casting rumors have flown around. But perhaps the biggest question is: how can this movie depict the S&M acts on the page and remain faithful to the book, within the boundaries of an R rating? Well, it looks like they'll be stepping outside those constraints.

By Kevin Jagernauth
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October 8, 2012 3:45 PM
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1 Comment

News

There's a reason we put Kelly Marcel on our On The Rise feature for screenwriters this spring. The scribe was due to break out in a big way, and indeed she has, nabbing one of the most high-profile book adaptations kicking around Hollywood.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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April 10, 2012 11:59 AM
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13 Comments

Features

Unlike in theater or television, writers generally get the short end of the stick in the movie business. When a film doesn't work, the script is blamed, when it does work, the director gets credit. Writers get fired, rehired, fired again, rewritten and screwed out of credit. But that's not to say that once they get the momentum behind them, a screenwriter can't become just as talked about as actors, actresses and directors around Hollywood watering holes and meeting rooms.

By Oliver Lyttelton
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February 8, 2012 1:23 PM
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1 Comment

News

There's been a trend of late on the Black List, of scripts that, due to various rights issues, stand little chance of ever being made. Two years ago, it was topped by "The Muppet Man," a biopic of Jim Henson, which was bought by The Henson Company in order to essentially bury it, while last year "In the Loop" scribe Jesse Armstrong penned "The Murdochs," a fictional comedy drama about Rupert Murdoch's family jockey for succession when he's diagnosed with a terminal illness -- despite the mogul's recent troubles, it's unlikely it'll ever make it before cameras. Similarly, this year saw "Chewie," a take on the making of "Star Wars" seen through the eyes of Peter Mayhew who played Chewbacca, which placed highly, but has yet to be picked up by anyone.