A few brief notes - as I am swamped in pre-production for my next film - the working title of which is "Men's Only."
I'm really hoping to come up with something better than that as a title.
Titles have always been one of my bugbears. Sometimes a brilliant title will present itself. "Don't Ask Me. I Just Live Here." came to me in a dream and I wrote a play around it. It won an award.
"Sarcophagus" although never produced, also won an award. In my mind it's the only name for the play (about the Chernobyl accident.) the themes in the play, plus the real-life significance of the term 'sarcophagus' with regards to the accident. Unfortunately, there is already a play about the accident which is also called "Sarcophagus." So mine had to become "Sarcophagus: A Nightmare" - and really, if it is ever produced (which will likely require a rewrite) it will probably need another naem entirely. In that case, my pre-conceptions are really going to get in my way. Someone else will likely have to name it.
"Scarlet to Starlet" - the first time I was ever commissioned to write a play is a title I hate. It means so little in terms of what the play is about, and to the degree that it does mean something, it only serves to elliptically give away the end. (Although you'd have to be pretty brilliant to figure it out from the title.) I wanted to call it "Bedknobs and Boomsticks" but the Revelstoke Mountain Arts Council - who commissioned me - refused. Fair enough. Their dime.
"Sons of Cohen." While not brilliant, has always been the right title for that film. It's about two guys who think they're Leonard Cohen's sons.
Probably my best result when it comes to uninspired titles has to be "Steel & Ice" - which for a long time was called "Untitled Hockey Movie." Not a great title, but totally serviceable.
"The Beast of Bottomless Lake" is laughable in terms of how many names it has had, including "Ogopogo", "'Pogo" and my personal favourite "The Nightmare Beast of Blood Lake: A Scientific Overview." That last one was such a high-concept joke that only Keith and I got it. The title died with him.
My two favourite titles are both for unfinished works. "Divorce Club" - which pretty much says it all. And "Double Identity" - which is a pun on "Double Indemnity" of course, and which makes more and more sense the more about the film you know... but I'm going to play my cards close to my chest on that one for now.
I went down to the Union office today to apply for waiver status for "Men's Only." And they were closed! For 'Heritage Day' - I'd never heard of it. Just my luck. Life is playing games with me this week. My original plan was to go in today, but then I changed shifts on Friday and I planned to go in then instead - just so there was more time... but then first thing in the morning Clint called and asked if I could come in to work earlier than intended - I could use the money, so I agreed and put off going to the UBCP office until today again. Well... so much for that idea. Luckily, I am starting late each of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. Christ.
It seems Markus Naslund agrees with me about Steve Moore. - See my post on the Bertuzzi Trial.
C'est tout.
- K
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