Congratulations on your new role!!! Writing weekly newsletters is a huge commitment, so I understand why you need to scale back. I’ll look forward to your posts regardless of frequency.
I too avoided Nightmare Alley, then loved it on HBO. It became the centerpiece of a substack post I wrote on Film Noir. Nightmare Alley is Neo Noir and blunts a lot of hard edges in classic 1940s Noir, which was so in the grips of WW II that it advanced the idea that a jaundiced cynicism was the universal condition. You might enjoy my take on the picture. You can find my post here:
I have a friend who used to work at a carnival and he had similar thoughts on "Nightmare Alley"! Beautiful, well-designed, ticks the mark on the scamming and the deceit. As always when compared to real life, he thought the NA world was too perfect and too 'contained' and del Toro glamorized it in parts when it shouldn't have been. I liked the cinematography and sound design of NA, and I think I definitely liked The Batman a lot more than you, but I think your critiques are fair and well-thought out!
The grimness does feel a little over done after the 2 hours and then some goes on, but I was really pulled along by the hope aspect and the realization of his newfound purpose at the very end (which, I will admit, I thought the movie ended at like 3 different times before the credits even rolled lmaooooo).
And congratulations on the assistant editing position! That's so awesome! Life happens and there is only so much you can focus on, but make sure to take care of yourself and your mental health :) I'm looking forward to the next newsletter you post, be it about a film or your life my guy!
I did really appreciate the ending of The Batman where hope was finally able to shine. All the darkness seemed to build up to that moment. It was just a really long, three-hour wind up lol.
And thank you so much for your support! I'm actually not an assistant editor yet, but studying up on how to be one haha!
Very fair on The Batman LOL I'm hoping that since it started out at the bottom of the barrel, the lowest place it could ever go, then the only way to go is up, right?
Dude! That's awesome though! I'm working to be a screenwriter in a writer's room and...there are days where I just want a normal job and there are days where I'm so excited to see what I can do next. It's gonna be a rough ride (any creative career is, let's be honest) but if you work hard and believe in yourself, I'm 100% certain you'll make it there!
Also I don't know if this is the right space to share it in, but I follow this guy named Zack Arnold and he's also an editor in Hollywood and he talks a lot on the business and mental health checks and his journey was really inspirational to me and I think you might like it as well :D : https://sparklp.co/9ea2877d?utm_source=email I hope that has something to help you along!
Omg, that's so funny—I literally just discovered Zack Arnold a few days ago lmao! I was panicking a little about my work-life balance, knowing that the hours can be brutal in the film industry. So I literally typed into Google "finding work life balance as a film editor" and found a podcast interview with Zack. His approach to mental health was really inspiring and encouraging. It's so comforting to know that a high profile editor is out there promoting reasonable hours.
And that's awesome that you're doing screenwriting work! We have definitely chosen some tough professions lol. Things will be rough, but the creative satisfaction will be so worth it—as long as we keep ourselves healthy at the same time!
All of Zack Arnold's podcasts and newsletters are great for aspiring creatives! I read all of his stuff on virtual networking/finding a mentor and it's quite the ordeal to follow his stuff step by step, but I understand how important it is now. A lot of Hollywood professionals, especially if you're in an underrepresented position (editing, VFX, sound design, etc.) feel like they can't say no to work or that they have to put in the 12+ hour days or else they'll be replaced. It's unfair and completely unreasonable to ask that of people.
Hell, I freelance on film sets and we'll easily hit the 12 hour mark but because I'm not part of any union, I get the flat fee and as much as it is rewarding, one gets tired of these mutilated work hours. The work-life balance is something I'm still struggling with, and I'm not even fully in the industry yet lmao
Congratulations on your new role!!! Writing weekly newsletters is a huge commitment, so I understand why you need to scale back. I’ll look forward to your posts regardless of frequency.
Thank you so much for your support! I actually don't have a new role yet, but studying up on how to get it haha!
I too avoided Nightmare Alley, then loved it on HBO. It became the centerpiece of a substack post I wrote on Film Noir. Nightmare Alley is Neo Noir and blunts a lot of hard edges in classic 1940s Noir, which was so in the grips of WW II that it advanced the idea that a jaundiced cynicism was the universal condition. You might enjoy my take on the picture. You can find my post here:
https://movieland.substack.com/p/film-noir-my-noir
Loved your piece! Beautifully written and very informative—you’ve got a new subscriber
Thank you, Dan!
I have a friend who used to work at a carnival and he had similar thoughts on "Nightmare Alley"! Beautiful, well-designed, ticks the mark on the scamming and the deceit. As always when compared to real life, he thought the NA world was too perfect and too 'contained' and del Toro glamorized it in parts when it shouldn't have been. I liked the cinematography and sound design of NA, and I think I definitely liked The Batman a lot more than you, but I think your critiques are fair and well-thought out!
The grimness does feel a little over done after the 2 hours and then some goes on, but I was really pulled along by the hope aspect and the realization of his newfound purpose at the very end (which, I will admit, I thought the movie ended at like 3 different times before the credits even rolled lmaooooo).
And congratulations on the assistant editing position! That's so awesome! Life happens and there is only so much you can focus on, but make sure to take care of yourself and your mental health :) I'm looking forward to the next newsletter you post, be it about a film or your life my guy!
I did really appreciate the ending of The Batman where hope was finally able to shine. All the darkness seemed to build up to that moment. It was just a really long, three-hour wind up lol.
And thank you so much for your support! I'm actually not an assistant editor yet, but studying up on how to be one haha!
Very fair on The Batman LOL I'm hoping that since it started out at the bottom of the barrel, the lowest place it could ever go, then the only way to go is up, right?
Dude! That's awesome though! I'm working to be a screenwriter in a writer's room and...there are days where I just want a normal job and there are days where I'm so excited to see what I can do next. It's gonna be a rough ride (any creative career is, let's be honest) but if you work hard and believe in yourself, I'm 100% certain you'll make it there!
Also I don't know if this is the right space to share it in, but I follow this guy named Zack Arnold and he's also an editor in Hollywood and he talks a lot on the business and mental health checks and his journey was really inspirational to me and I think you might like it as well :D : https://sparklp.co/9ea2877d?utm_source=email I hope that has something to help you along!
Omg, that's so funny—I literally just discovered Zack Arnold a few days ago lmao! I was panicking a little about my work-life balance, knowing that the hours can be brutal in the film industry. So I literally typed into Google "finding work life balance as a film editor" and found a podcast interview with Zack. His approach to mental health was really inspiring and encouraging. It's so comforting to know that a high profile editor is out there promoting reasonable hours.
And that's awesome that you're doing screenwriting work! We have definitely chosen some tough professions lol. Things will be rough, but the creative satisfaction will be so worth it—as long as we keep ourselves healthy at the same time!
All of Zack Arnold's podcasts and newsletters are great for aspiring creatives! I read all of his stuff on virtual networking/finding a mentor and it's quite the ordeal to follow his stuff step by step, but I understand how important it is now. A lot of Hollywood professionals, especially if you're in an underrepresented position (editing, VFX, sound design, etc.) feel like they can't say no to work or that they have to put in the 12+ hour days or else they'll be replaced. It's unfair and completely unreasonable to ask that of people.
Hell, I freelance on film sets and we'll easily hit the 12 hour mark but because I'm not part of any union, I get the flat fee and as much as it is rewarding, one gets tired of these mutilated work hours. The work-life balance is something I'm still struggling with, and I'm not even fully in the industry yet lmao