Peter Hanson
Author of the books The Cinema of Generation X, Dalton Trumbo, Hollywood Rebel, and Tales from the Script. Director of films including the feature-length documentaries Every Pixel Tells a Story and Tales from the Script, plus the shorts Closure and Stagehand. For more information, including details about Hanson s script-consulting services, visit www.GrandRiverFilms.com.
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- 1/20/2010
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Writer, Filmmaker and Author of Tales from the Script
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New York University (film and screenwriting), University at Albany (journalism)Favorites
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Displaying Results 1 - 81 (of 81) for All Content
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What Marvel Studios Is Doing RightTaking control over the adaptations of their characters allows the Marvel Comics team to thread the needle between campy concepts and summer-movie sizzle
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2012 Oscar Nominees: Biggest Snubs Led by 'Bridesmaids,' 'Cars 2'The Academy Award nominations include some happy surprises, but a number of expected nods failed to materializeAlso published on:
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George Clooney's Big Year: Predicting the 2012 Oscar WinnersExpect the 'Descendants' star to win Best Actor, even though his movie has serious competition for the big prizeAlso published on:
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James Franco to Play Bruce Springsteen! (Or Maybe Not)With so many actors playing historical figures lately, it's fun to imagine which other modern actors could incarnate beloved personalities from the past -
George Lucas Retirement Rumors and the Quandary of the Man Behind 'Star Wars'What does our fascination with the creator of a sci-fi franchise say about us, and what does our fascination say about him? -
Whose Classics Are They, Anyway?When older films lose their power to thrill, are they still worth recommending to future generations? -
Avengers, Dark Knights, and Hobbits: Anticipating 2012's Biggest MoviesMega-franchises will dominate the multiplex in the coming months, but 2012 has more to offer than just repeats of past hits -
Beyond 'Bridesmaids': A 2011 Top-Ten Movie List Without Everyone's Favorite Raunchy ComedyWhile some movies have gotten too much attention, unseen gems like 'The Guard' and 'Meek's Cutoff' haven't gotten enough -
'Adventures of Tintin,' Steven Spielberg, and the Conundrum of Motion CaptureEven with a legendary director controlling their movements, the lifeless cartoon characters in 'Tintin' reiterate the limitations of a popular technology -
Thirty Movies to Watch Before the 2012 Oscars (Part Two)If you want the edge on your office pool, start watching these releases now, because you’ve got a lot of catching up to do -
Thirty Movies to Watch Before the 2012 Oscars (Part One)If you want the edge on your office pool, start watching these releases now, because you’ve got a lot of catching up to do -
'Hugo' and 'The Descendants': A Tale of Overkill and UnderstatementOne celebrated fall 2011 release demonstrates the excesses of today’s Hollywood, while another reveals the restraint missing from modern moviemaking
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'My Week with Marilyn' and the Disappearance of Womanly CurvesEven though Marilyn Monroe's sex appeal still fascinates Hollywood, her brand of femininity is rarely found in contemporary actresses -
Occupy Los Angeles, Continued: Let's Occupy Hollywood NextWhy stop with asking for income reform, when entertainment reform is needed as well? -
Lindsay Lohan Does 'Playboy' and the Sordid Saga of Celebrity NudityUnclothed appearances by big-name actresses have become less common in the Internet era, but that doesn't mean Hollywood has stopped exploiting young women -
Why Hiring Billy Crystal Isn't Enough: 10 Changes the Oscars Must MakeRecruiting a beloved former host may salvage this year's Academy Awards, but radical moves are required if the Oscars want to regain relevanceAlso published on: -
'The Artist' Joins the Ranks of Modern-Day Silent FilmsContemporary tributes to classic wordless cinema are rare, but each celebrates the unique power of pure visual storytelling -
Do Premature Movie Awards Make Word of Mouth Irrelevant?Every time critics' groups move up their annual awards, the public's role in discovering great movies diminishes -
Previewing the Post-DVD World: Don't Expect the Free Ride to LastMovie fans anticipating continued price decreases as physical media gets phased out should prepare for sticker shockAlso published on: -
2011 Box Office So Far: Major Profits, Minor OriginalityAs of mid-October, only one original film is among the year’s Top 10 moneymakers
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Beyond 'Straw Dogs,' 'The Wild Bunch': A Smarter Approach to Remaking PeckinpahInstead of remaking a legendary director's classics, why not try improving upon his misfires?
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Johnny Depp, 'The Lone Ranger,' and Why Hollywood Doesn't Make Sense AnymoreWhen a studio decides that spending $250 million on a strange project is risky, but spending $210 million isn't, something has gone wrong
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'Django Unchained': Quentin Tarantino's Next Movie Revives a Controversial GenreAfter paying homage to genres like blaxploitation and kung-fu flicks, the director has boldly decided to tip his hat to 'slavesploitation'
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Netflix Price Gouging and the Great DVD Scare of 2011The truth about changes to a popular service lies somewhere between conspiracy theories and cold-blooded economics
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'Harry Potter' and the Fine Art of Concluding a FranchiseBecause Hollywood loves to keep movie series going indefinitely, there aren't many examples of franchises ending gracefully
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'Transformers,' 'Bridesmaids,' and the Problem with Hollywood BudgetsLogic suggests that making movies as cheaply as possible is good business, but that's not the way it works in today's more-is-more Hollywood
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The Movie Plate: Building a Balanced Cinematic DietSummer blockbusters at the top of your movie pyramid? Try changing your viewing habits, because there's more to watch than just Hollywood fare.
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'Raiders of the Lost Ark' at 30: the Story Behind the ScreenplayKasdan, Lucas, Spielberg: The Adventures of Indiana Jones and the Writers of the Lost ArkAlso published on:
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'X-Men: First Class' and the Problem with PrequelsThough Going Back in Time Can Reap Creative Rewards, There Are Good Reasons Why Few Major Prequels Have Ever Been Made
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Superhero Movies Hollywood Should MakeWhat's next after this summer's parade of comic book blockbusters?
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'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides' Incurs the Wrath of Movie CriticsFrustration that reviews don't matter anymore manifests in anger directed at Johnny Depp's new flick
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The Recipe for a Great Summer MovieJust like a kitchen masterpiece, the perfect warm-weather blockbuster needs the right ingredients and plenty of TLC.
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Rutger Hauer: Back with a VengeanceThe star's brazen new movie "Hobo With a Shotgun" recalls his '80s heyday.
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Who Knew the X-Men Were Involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis?'X-Men: First Class' is the latest movie to offer an outrageous new spin on history
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'Meek's Cutoff' and the Hard Road of American IndiesThanks to the brutal economics of the current entertainment industry, making independent movies has become an ordeal with little chance of success
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'Sucker Punch,' 'Wonder Woman,' and Beyond: When Hollywood Uses Empowerment to Justify ExploitationDefending sexy images with feminist sloganeering represents a gross misunderstanding, an intentional insult, or both
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Mediapocalypse Now: What Happens After Conventional Media Retailing Disappears?The current technological shift is exciting, but it brings unexpected challenges like rampant online theft and the loss of connectivity between sellers and buyers
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Forget Charlie Sheen: Let's See These Celebrity Meltdowns InsteadWhen a longtime bad boy like Sheen loses his cool, it's predictable' -- but when someone unexpected freaks out in public, it's priceless
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The Screenwriting Journey: An Odyssey in Three ActsThis story from the author of 'Tales from the Script' uses fiction to explore the dreams and disappointments experienced by thousands of aspiring screenwriters
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Alternate Oscars 2010: Great Acting and Filmmaking the Academy IgnoredMuch of the Nominated Work was Terrific, but Some Performances and Pictures Were Even Better, Despite Being Overlooked by OscarAlso published on:
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Super Bowl Commercials and the Rise of the American A-HoleSpots airing during the big game reinforced a nasty cultural trend of tolerating boorish behavior
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2011 Oscar Nominations for Original Screenplay: A Celebration of Underwhelming WritingFrom 'Another Year' to 'The King's Speech,' Each of the Underwhelming Nominated Screenplays Suffers from a Deficit or Excess of Artistic Ambition
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Smurfs, Superheroes, and Transformers: Ten Movies to Dread in 2011Among this year's coming attractions are a handful of high-profile films representing Hollywood's worst tendencies
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2010 Yahoo! Contributor Awards Acceptance Speech for Content of the YearAcceptance Speech: Content of the Year
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The Road to 'Black Swan': The Curious Career of Natalie PortmanFrom starring in "Star Wars" prequels to headlining art-house fare, the actress has cultivated an unusual mixture of bankability and credibility
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Tony Curtis, Dennis Hopper, Leslie Nielsen, and More: Saying Goodbye to Hollywood Greats Who Died in 2010Suggestions of fitting tributes for honoring the entertaining legacies of departed film-industry professionals
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'The Godfather,' Star Wars,' and Beyond: Celebrating the Wonders of 1970s CinemaWriting about '70s movies me helps me spread the word about bewitching (and bewildering) films from an era that changed Hollywood forever
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Anne Hathaway, James Franco, and Awards-Season Hype: Tips for Surviving Hollywood's Annual Prize ParadeTo avoid overdosing on news coverage of showbiz awards, tune out preshow noise and save your enthusiasm for the main event
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Peter Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, 'Toy Story 3,' and More: 10 Things Hollywood Did Right This YearIn the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, some thoughts on positive developments in the film industry that merit gratitude
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Jessica Alba: Screenwriters Don't Need You, EitherBecause Jessica Alba doesn't think it's necessary to consult scripts, she'd be happier making movies without them. Good actors, she said, use whatever lines they want.
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Lindsay Lohan and Mel Gibson: Why Money, Not Morals, Turns Controversial Actors into Hollywood PariahsExtreme behavior is tolerated by the film industry until it affects the bottom line.
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Why "Jackass" Trumps Social Dramas: The Impotence of Being EarnestIn a cinematic world dominated by lurid spectacle, movies about social issues get lost in the crowd
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"Easy A," "Social Network" Create New Movie Stars for a New Generation"Easy A" star Emma Stone and "Social Network" costar Andrew Garfield join an wave of promising actors from the twentysomething set.
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The Trouble with Truthiness: Are Movies like "The Social Network" Irresponsible?The so-called "Facebook movie" revives a debate about presenting fictionalized versions of real people. Unauthorized pictures are a murky business.
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"Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps" Joins the Dubious Ranks of Sequels a Decade or More in the MakingFilm history shows the odds are against success for movies that pick up stories left hanging for ten years or more
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How Ben Affleck and Others Joined the Club of Successful Hollywood Actors-Turned-DirectorsActors only seem to thrive as filmmakers when their directorial interests echo their onscreen personas, as Ben Affleck did with his acclaimed thriller "The Town"
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Hollywood 's Cruel Summer: What Downbeat Successes from "The Expendables" to "The American" Say About Current TastesTo score at the box office this summer, it seems all a movie needed was a body count or a bummer theme, if not both
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20 Great Movie Performances by Actors Who Don't Appear OnscreenSometimes a movie star's voice is so powerful the actor doesn't need to be seen to make an impression. Examples include Claude Rains in "The Invisible Man."
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How Hollywood Might Mimic Christopher Nolan's "Inception"The runaway success of the mind-bending thriller could spark some provocative trends -- but not the most provocative one of all
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Michael Moore's Latest Crusade: The Nonprofit Movie TheaterThe Oscar-winning documentarian's noble scheme to preserve the traditional movie-going experience may be a case of Moore equaling lessAlso published on:
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Fifteen Vampire Movies to See Instead of "Twilight"When sparkly teen bloodsuckers like those in "Twilight" don't get your plasma pumping, check out these spins on vampire mythology, including "Nosferatu."
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Tom Cruise, Knight and Day, and the Expiration Dates of Movie StardomAs the onetime Top Gun has discovered, the public's affection for a movie star reaches a natural end despite all efforts to arrest the process.
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Dear Hollywood: Forget "Escape from New York," and Remake "The Deep" InsteadStudios should remake movies, including "Psycho," that didn't completely work the first time instead of rehashing films that audiences have embraced.
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Failure of "The A-Team," Success of "The Karate Kid" Reveal the Fine Line Between Good and Bad Summer MoviesRecent summer-movie flops -- "The A-Team," "Prince of Persia" and "Robin Hood" -- represent examples of studio executives over-thinking simple ideas.
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How Money Squabbles Derail Would-Be Blockbusters like 'The Hobbit'Guillermo del Toro's departure from "The Hobbit" reminds fans that can't-miss projects sometimes miss. del Toro announced this month that he's left the film.
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Stealing Cinema's Future, One Frame at a TimePosting movie clips on YouTube not only violates copyrights but also compromises directors' visions.
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Why the Marvel Studios Experiment Might FailUnfortunately for Marvel Studios, catering to comic-book fans is the easiest way to turn off mainstream movie audiences.
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Five Hollywood Career Revivals Waiting to HappenMichael Keaton and Winona Ryder might be among the next actors with a fresh shot at success.
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Exclusive Excerpt: 'Tales from the Script'In this excerpt from Peter Hanson's "Tales from the Script," screenwriters explain the importance of luck when trying to build a Hollywood career.
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When Uma Met 'Avatar'There's more to a movie than the money it makes. Compare the box-office success of "Avatar" with Uma Thurman's "Motherhood."
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Dissing the 'Date Night' Movie and Other Dangers of Digital DemocracyMovie fans should keep uninformed opinions to themselves. Witness the reactions of anonymous filmgoers to the Steve Carell and Tina Fey film "Date Night."
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'Clash of the Titans' Meets 'American Idol': Hollywood Marketing Reaches a New LowThe integration of a "Clash of the Titans" movie ad and a TV program -- "American Idol" -- reflects a new business model.
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'Alice in Wonderland' Takes Hollywood Down the Rabbit Hole"Alice in Wonderland" is another success for unoriginal entertainment.
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'The Big Lebowski,' Kathryn Bigelow and Michael Jackson: Ten Reasons to Watch the Oscars This YearWhen viewers tune in Sunday for the Academy Awards, they can expect the usual elements. Here are 10 reasons to watch, including Steve Martin as a host.
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CGI Technology, Fake Actors Harm Real StarsThe rise of fake actors, like in "Avatar," endangers the welfare of real actors. Do we really need a virtual Russell Crowe or Megan Fox?
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The Incredible Shrinking Movie ScreenChange for feature films in the iPod era is coming down the tracks, so I can get on board or get run over. But I think it's wise to take a long look at what we're leaving behind. Some of it might just be worth keeping.
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'Tales from the Script' Presents: Advice for New ScreenwritersProfessionals offer priceless tips and inspiration in this sneak peek from the "Tales from the Script" DVD. For more great anecdotes and insights, check out the book "Tales from the Script: 50 Hollywood Screenwriters Share Their Stories" (available now online and in bookstores) and the documentary m
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2010 Oscar Nominations for Original Screenplay Celebrate Personal StoriesSay what you will about the stodginess of the Academy Awards in general, but the nominees for Best Original Screenplay acquitted themselves nicely this year.
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Demise of Miramax Reveals Shortcomings of Corporate Ownership in HollywoodThe indie titans behind Miramax are now rendering themselves obsolete by making exactly the kinds of movies that mainstream studios make.
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'Spider-Man 4,' 'A-Team' and 'Avatar' Rehash Existing Hollywood StorytellingIt's long been said that there are no new stories, but the output from Hollywood lately takes the sentiment behind this saying to a preposterous extreme.
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"Tales from the Script" Theatrical TrailerScreenwriters ranging from newcomers to living legends share their triumphs and hardships in this probing, insightful and often hilarious odyssey through the world of movie storytelling.