"You Don't Love Me Yet" Screenplay

9/25/08
Pages 51-62

In the screenplay we wrote for the novel, You Don't Love Me Yet, we covered the scene where Lucinda and Denise discover the kangaroo in Matthew's apartment. While writing this screenplay, I realized the enormous task Hollywood screenwriters must endure while adapting novels into films. In our scene of the kangaroo, there is little dialogue between the characters because Lucinda and Denise are attempting to sneak into Matthew's apartment without being heard. Fortunately for us as writers, they are both drunk, allowing us to add dialogue when needed to paint a picture of the scene without creating a confused mess of narration and dialogue in our adaptation. The dialogue itself was realitively simple because the characters do not have extraordinary diction and from reading the rest of the book we were able to determine what they could very well have said in the situation. For example, in the novel Lethem describes Denise and Lucinda drinking beer and then yearning for something stronger. In our version we skip the unneccesary dialogue and have Denise come out and say, "lets get shitfaced." This is all that is necessary to show the reader what is happening because during a film we could easily see that they are both getting drunk. Throughout our screenplay we take similar steps to cut down on the amount of words, but use language that the characters would use and that we ourselves may use in similar circumstances.

Postmodernism in "You Don't Love Me Yet"

9/18/08
You Don't Love Me Yet

In Lethem's novel, You Don't Love Me Yet, the character Falmouth is a very interesting character. The thing that strikes me about Falmouth is that he constantly strives to do art that seems to have no purpose whatsoever. For example, Falmouth's Aparty was intended to have guests dancing to their own music while a band played silently and Falmouth was to only tease the guests with food. If it is a work of art it is nothing anyone can really explain or admire, the only one it could be considered art for is Falmouth. The Aparty is like a postmodernist novel, with Falmouth as its author. Although Falmouth wanted a work of art rather than a party, a normal social gathering would have allowed the guests to eat and interact to the same music while dancing. Falmouth instead disrupts the linearity of the party by not serving food to the guests and separating them from each other in what would have otherwise been a social setting. Another example of Falmouth supposed "art" is the complaint telephone line. This complaint line itself embodies the characteristics of postmodernism in the sense that it serves no purpose to Falmouth in the story, but it allows Lethem the ability to connect Lucinda with Carl and draw him into the story. After Lucinda and Carl are brought together, Falmouth discontinues the complaint line and turns his attention to other things.

Pop Culture vs. High Culture in Pulp Fiction

9/11/08
"Popular Culture and High Culture Collide" and Pulp Fiction

In the film Pulp Fiction, Tarantino surrounds us with familar pop culture, yet seems to include very subtle aspects of high culture. In the film, Marcellus' men, Vincent and Jules appear to be the stereotypical mobsters. We first see them in black suits very typical in mobster films such as The Godfather; however, both men are adorned with narrow black ties reminiscent of the Beatles. In addition, Jules' hair appears straight out of the 70s, seemingly overdone with wild sideburns. Furthermore, Vincent appears with shoulder length hair similar to the style of the 80s, but has been greased similar to that of the 30s mobster. The film itslef is composed of three parts, similar to the classic style of the symphony and many of the scenes that include blood and gore are done way over the top to represent the classic slasher film. In addition to pop culture, the film exudes a sense of postmodernism with the film lacking a linear direction. One of the characters, Butch, represents the postmodern hero; lacking virtue, yet ends up helping his enemy in his time of need.

Metafiction: City of Glass

9/4/08
City of Glass p.78-81

In this section of City of Glass, we are revealed the true genius of Peter Stillman and the true person that is Henry Dark. The second time Quinn approaches Stillman he tells him his name is Henry Dark. Stillman tells him that Henry Dark was a character he made up for a book. This tells us that the pamphlet Stillman used in his "research" was not a lost manuscript, but in fact a document that Stillman wrote himself. This was done as Stillman explains to express ideas that we too controversial; however, the invention of Henry Dark allowed Stillman to gain credibilty and seem more plausible in his experiment on his son. Stillman's reasoning for Henry Dark is the initials H.D. or Humpty Dumpty, the purest human being. This reference to Through the Looking Glass allows the author to make Stillman appear clever, yet mad. It also appears to relate to the title of Auster's book City of Glass a story that many ways parallels Carrol's book with many events taking place to what seems to be no end.