FilmMattic

The Killing       I apologize to the Tarantino loyalists, but Kill Bill (Vol. 1 or 2) is not my "K" film. I look at it from two angles. For one, I'll make it up to Tarantino when we get to "P." And secondly, if I can neglect both King Kong (1933), which doesn't hold up to modern standards despite its landmark significance, as a stunning example of stop-motion animation, and an influential monster-adventure epic, and The King of Comedy— well, because I've already extensively written about that —then I can shed no contrition for dismissing Tarantino's tremendous two-part action thriller. 

      This video above is taken from the opening scene of Quentin Tarantino's directorial debut, Reservoir Dogs .  This scene is a perfect example of how to effectively construct believable and exciting dialogue.  The camaraderie of the actors on display here is palpably refreshing.  You get the idea that these guys hangout on a regular basis and this is just another morning at the local diner for them.  The beautifully rhythmic, real life conversational back-and-forth among the actors is superbly rendered.  Even the little physical machinations of the characters such as the way Madsen's character maneuvers his cigarette is impeccably executed.  Any aspiring screenwriter should take a page from Tarantino's book when it comes to creating true-to-life conversational dialogue that is engaging, exciting, and flows as fantastically as a well-told poetry reading.  Happy New Year to everyone who reads my blog! 2011 should be a heck...