TBF, Mags, you have been doing a lot of the heavylifting for the quest, so this will be in good hands.
To be clear to everyone, this is just me burning out on imagination of the quest, since my muse has been hitting me over the head a lot with so many different ideas that I just can't find myself too interested in this.
I'll still hang out here, though, since this still does have a sepcial place in my heart.
I'd like to thank you all for making this a wonderful experience while it lasted.
I'd also like to thank @Magoose, @Fluffy_serpent, and @Martin Noctis for doing so much to help prepare and write this quest. I couldn't have done it without you all.
Half of me is hoping to see more original pitches for movies/tv shows/whatever. And the other half is thinking things like "would Bruce Campbell make a good Dean Winchester?". The duality of me.
The flying Winnebago helihome is on sale "now". I can see Bruce wanting one so as to go to filming locations and back again quickly to deal with the latest issue that crops up. or Mike wanting one equipped as an office or boardroom as the ultimate power move in negotiation.
You know George is probably filling one full of camera equipment , arrange for stabilization and anti vibration and thinking up how to do all those drone shots.
It would also add to the rumor's of what Exactly Bruce was doing during the Vietnam war.
On a practical side Bruce has a helipad at his Mansion and John Travolta could help Him with piloting lessons.
[X] Plan Marvel Ball
-[X]Resiviour Dogs: Quinton has earned a film and he made it well. Now let's see what this kid can do. DC: 30
-[X]The House of Ideas: Stan Lee and the boys and girls at Marvel are… Well they have some ideas and you are just going to be giving a nod and a wave because that was all you want to do. Also a new guy named Akira… wanted to take pictures of you sparring and training as reference photos. DC: ???
-[X]Mary's Escapades: You want to know just what Mary does whenever she sneaks out and visits Mike. DC: ???
-[X]An Early Christmas party: Mike is busy in December, and wants to have the party early. You agreed. Mostly because the next action plan might kill him. DC: 0
-[X]The New Blood: So... Who wants to work for Lucasfilms? DC:???
--[X]Director
-[X]The USFL: Carrie has another sports team under her belt, and she and the USFL are finally releasing their press statements. So let's see how you will do it. Also, Carrie said you needed to be there for a reason that would be amazing. DC: 40/???
-[X]Castles in the Sky: Mary says her rocket designs are ready. So she wants you to help her deliver it. DC:10/??/???
-[X]The Family Time: You need a night out with the family dammit! No more drama, no more work, just you and Carrie and the Kids!
-[X] Hanging out with the Friends: It's been far to long since you, John, and Robin hung out, so you will go out for some drinks and have some fun. DC: 45
-[X] A Charitable Heart: You want to invest your newfound wealth. Maybe even save some lives while you are at it. (Linetail what you wish to invest in below this action, and the amount of money you want to donate in)
--[X] Giving Out Turkey [$50 Million]: With Thanksgiving right around the corner, you want to make sure that any struggling families will be able to afford to celebrate the holiday by donating turkeys through your organization, FEAST, for any family who needs it.
-[X]Networking: Well time to start finding out who might actually be interested in meeting you. (Write-in what you want to try and network with)
--[X] Bob Clark. Bob Clark is trying to create a film called "A Christmas Story" about a boy and his family's misadventures in 1940's America. It kind of reminds you a lot of Dad's Christmas stories and Lucasfilms needs more holiday movies. Contact Bob and see if you can make it a Lucasfilms production.
-[X] Do auditions(Movies and TV Shows): You are going to go to some of the casting calls that are in the place where you can find work in. DC: 20(Possibility of only getting a commercial or TV show job, or extra work in a low-budget film)
-[X] While you're in New York to see Marvel, turn it into a Thanksgiving family vacation to spend the holiday with your parents and see the Macy Parade.
So here's my plan to hopefully make a productive Thanksgiving. See Reservoir Dogs and the rise of Tarantino greatness. Travel to Marvel and see what they're doing. Mary escapades with Mike and her rocket. A Christmas party, new director, and help Carrie with the USFL.
I do agree with Zade's ideas of doing some charity, something nice which will help fight the bullshit that the moral crowd are angry about. Traveling to New York to visit family is also good because it lines up with us visiting Marvel since Marvel is in New York so it's good to spend Thanksgiving with the family.
I want Bruce to do some acting work since it's been a while since he's been invested and I think he would get reinvigorated after Hong Kong. Also, try and get A Christmas Story to be a Lucasfilms movie. One of the best ever.
@Kaiser Chris ,I like your plan, and I'm all aboard with it. Just a suggestion, if you want us to go back to acting and be more productive, perhaps we should look for acting roles in movies rather than TV?
@Kaiser Chris ,I like your plan, and I'm all aboard with it. Just a suggestion, if you want us to go back to acting and be more productive, perhaps we should look for acting roles in movies rather than TV?
The auditions are for both movies and TV. There's always the chance if we roll high enough we get a movie part like that one turn where we got a supporting role in Airplane. Besides, I wouldn't mind some TV work if it means we get to star in some LucasTV shows. Provide some support for the network and get a nice role in one of our creations.
Amnesia: The Dark Descent Directed by: David Lynch
Written by: Mavis Kingsley
Produced by: Bruce O'Brian
Production and Distribution Studio: Lucasfilms Unlimited
Starring: Liam Neeson (David), Richard Harris (Alexander of Brennenburg), Jürgen Prochnow (Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa), Freddie Jones (Thurston Herbert) and Rutger Hauer (Johann Weyer).
Budget: $15,000,000 Domestic: $80,947,237 International: $6,892,401 Total Gross: $87,839,638
VHS: $310,472,242
Mavis Kingsley... what could you really say about how you felt about her? The woman who came in with false pretenses to spy on your company, was captured in the act, and then given a second chance to be a true and proper member of the team. You were in disbelief at first, certainly. You had to deal with many a corporate spy, and without a doubt, nearly all of them had proven themselves to be greedy, amoral, and cynical people who'd be willing to do just about anything if it meant they could bring someone down with them and get paid for it. Then there was astonishment. Mavis, unlike all those previous examples, had retained her hope and repaid her second chance with some of the most intelligent and innovative writing you'd seen in a long time. Pacific Rim, her first project, became one of the greatest TV Shows in history, and she had only gotten better since then.
It truly made you wonder just what the hell was Sidney thinking when throwing away a treasure like her.
But what truly set you agog was when she gave you her first idea for a live action horror movie. Not because you thought her incapable, or because you didn't think her talents would translate from animation to traditional filmmaking.
It was because, by that point, you'd gotten to know Mavis quite well; heck, she and Carrie had gotten along like a house on fire, Mavis' daughter, Millicent, could be counted among Mary's best friends, and if there was one thing you, Carrie, and everyone else around the offices had come to understand, it was that Mavis did not do Horror... at all.
Dave was still apologizing for that office prank that startled her to the point she stayed inside the break room for the rest of the day.
So when she came to the writer's office one day with a script that she seemed to have written all in one night (mostly due to her bloodshot eyes and dark eyebags that pretty much screamed how little sleep she'd gotten), many, including yourself, were curious about as to what exactly it may have been that Mavis was trying to write down since, in many ways, this work seemed to be an antithesis to everything she valued in her life.
And frankly, you were beginning to question if you really wanted to know what inspired this smorgasbord of darkness... or if you'd rather recommend a sleep therapist for her, because seriously, this stuff was dark!
Dark rituals, torture of innocents, travels through dimensions, the creation of a mysterious energy called "Vitae" through the torture of said innocents, running through a dark castle without any memory while being chased by an unseen monster and getting some help from what could charitably be descried as a "Half-dead monstrosity..." yeah, you were wondering if perhaps this was a work that should be buried. Honestly, had it not been for Mavis' own uncharacteristic insistence on bringing the script to life, you'd have just tabled it and let it gather dust.
Mavis, for all her talents, always seemed to have issues with her own confidence, something Carrie always tried to aid her with, whether it was being more assertive, or learning to present her ideas instead of letting them be picked from the bunch. You could see all of Carrie's coaching and influence when Mavis stood her ground, body somewhat shaking and struggling to meet your eye, her desire to have this project practically written all over her face and struggling with her own natural impulses.
Well, never let it be said that you'd never give your full support to the creatives working for you.
Although part of you suspected she was mainly doing this in order to overcome whatever it was that she'd seen that night.
So in the end, you approved the production, and even went to bat for the project by becoming the producer as well. Not that you'd be especially hands-on considering the many different projects you had to deal with, but at the very least, you wanted to make sure the project had a director that could make the project shine... and perhaps make it so that the script goes a bit beyond being just a fever dream. For all that it had great concepts and ideas, it was a bit disjointed in your opinion, and it really needed a bit of work to turn it into a more coherent screenplay.
It was an odd story, and so, you tried speaking to both George and Mike about it, both giving you different takes on which director would work best for this new production; George thought it would be a good idea to blood the then new hire, Sam Raimi, and let him have a go at the script. Mike, however, proposed that perhaps Wes Craven, a more established and veteran filmmaker, could take on the project.
Both ideas were reasonable and you could definitely have gone with either one had you not, on the most coincidental of all chances, found yourself turning on the TV one night before going to bed and coming across, of all things, an interview with the man who managed to gain acclaim with his adaptation of The Elephant Man. You recalled how Mark had raved about the role, having gotten the chance to flex his acting muscles beyond the previous roles he'd been offered and played as. And upon hearing the man in charge speak about the project, how he had to come to understand and bring about his vision of the story while also keeping to the overall message of the play and book... well, perhaps it was your instincts, or maybe it was just impulsiveness, but at that moment you just knew... you'd found your director.
David Lynch was not the kind of man one would think of when trying to make something mainstream, his movies leaning more surrealist and psychological, with themes that would sometimes be a bit too out there for regular audiences. However, it didn't change the fact that his movies were still popular, that there was a growing fanbase centered around them, and that for all that he was not a mainstream film director, he could very well be considered one of the most artistic, with his own vision on how to make movies.
And when you managed to get a meeting and offered him the script, he only needed to take a brief look to accept on the spot.
Having left it to him, Lynch took over the project with both aplomb and an enthusiasm that you did not think was characteristic of him. Then again, you had offered him complete freedom on the project so long as he and Mavis could come to an accord. Soon, the sight of the pair discussing the script, notes scattered all round them, and plans for sets and costumes had become common, with Lynch having contacted his own team to prepare for principal photography soon enough. The discussion for the script had finished, the plans had been made, and David soon left to begin what you were sure was going to be either a masterpiece, or a piece that would at least be shown on screen.
You did not expect him to try and film the movie in Germany of all places though! There was enough tension already with the Soviets to try and taunt them a bit more with the idea of one of your productions so near to their territory. Yet, Lynch was determined that he would get the best results if the movie could be done in an authentic German castle.
You're only glad that the authorities were so understanding, and accommodating once they heard from which studio he was coming from.
It appears Lucasfilms has many fans in high places, as soon, the pick of the lot was allowed for what was, as you were told, a pretty stable and smooth filmmaking experience. One would think that it would be more volatile, yet it appears that Lynch's style was truly suited for this kind of films as he was able to tackle in all the ins-and-outs of the film, as well as the several issues that cropped up with both good humor and adaptability.
If only the actors could see it as such.
Most of the crew and actors, although they knew about the script, knew about the subject, and they knew about the special effects in place... well, there's still only so much you can take while living inside a castle, at night, with odd noises going around, even if you tell yourself that ghosts are not real. The constant reshoots for scenes that just did not seem "real enough" was another point that they disagreed, and the entire size of the castle made it oh so easy to get lost in It. All things which Lynch assured them would make for an excellent motivator for many of the scenes, though you're not sure many of them are going to be keen on working with him again.
But the results were everything you could have hoped for.
The movie begins with a pseudo-narration by the protagonist, David, as he awakens inside a Castle in East Prussia, soon finding himself not able to remember anything about where he is, why he's there, or barely anything about himself save for his name. A note, supposedly written by himself to himself, tells him of how he took a tonic to erase his memories and tasks him with finding Alexander of Brenneburg, the man who brought them to the castle, and killing him for his actions against them.
From the very beginning, there is the mystery of just what exactly is going on, while David's narration subtly steers the audience into empathizing with him... something which may or may not last as more of his past is revealed as he travels through the dark castle. However, as he continues to explore, he finds himself assaulted by audio flashbacks, his voice along with that of Alexander soon revealing memories that slowly piece together a dark and horrifying past, showing how he'd come willingly to the castle after the discovery of an Orb in Algeria, how this lead to him being hunted by a monster, how Alexander promised him safety... and how he soon sunk to levels unheard of by kidnapping and torturing innocent people to produce the "Vitae" energy that should have kept the monster at bay.
The entire situation is made all the more tragic when David discovers that Alexander never intended to protect him from the monster, but to use him in order to gather enough "Vitae" to activate the Orb and open a dimensional portal to go back to his own dimension as it's revealed that Alexander of Brenneburg, a man who's lived for centuries, is not from this dimension, but was trapped here and has tried everything to go back home.
David's erasing of his own memories then becomes not an attempt at atonement, but of fleeing responsibility. At the same time, his experiences through the castle become suspect, as his pseudo narration begins to be questioned not only by himself, but by Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the half corpse that's been kept alive by Alexander ever since their colleague, Johann Weyer, was sent to the other dimension and threatened to keep Alexander out if he ever killed Agrippa.
It then becomes a race against time as David has to make a decision as to whether he should destroy the ritual site for Alexander, or aid Agrippa to close the rift once and for all, which may very well kill them. David himself is unsure if this will even work, or if it's even real, but his aid of Agrippa at the end shows his evolution. Even when in the end all are consigned to the void, the voices of Agrippa and Weyer are heard, with Agrippa speaking in a trembling voice of reassurance to David that everything would be alright, leaving the audience once more to interpret as to whether that is the truth, or just an attempt at giving a moment of peace to an already dying man.
The entire experience is both surreal and dreamlike, just as Lynch's themes for his movies tend to be, along with a heavy emphasis on both a sense of urgency and the fear of the unknown during the exploration of Castle Brenneburg. Carefully placed notes and audio-flashbacks allow for the piecing together of just what is going on in a disjointed and non-linear story, with each piece adding another mystery until the climax finally reveals the truth of the matter, even if both the David and the audience may have preferred to remain in obscurity.
There is also this warping sense of reality when it comes to the story, as the voices and sounds that come from nowhere during the exploration of the castle tend to put the narration, and by extension David, into a state where we distrust his perception of what is going on. The ambient effects and the music, instead of being used liberally is left mostly to serve the story when it fits the most. Nearly all of the movie can be said to have next to no music, with only the lonely sounds of footsteps to break the monotony. Yet when the moment an event is about to occur, when the crescendo begins, the music breaks you out of the complacency you've fallen into, and as it grows even more towards an explosion... it instead falls once more as David manages to avoid the danger.
For the first time since Halloween, you'd never thought you'd feel fear in such a way that left you never wanting to experience it again... and yet eagerly waiting for it with baited breath, part of you hooked on just what will the climax be.
David had done the impossible; he'd turned the music in the movie into something to dread. He'd created the perfect atmosphere of terror that increased and built up to a crescendo, forcing every minute and every second of the movie into a heart pounding experience, with the brief moments when the supposed monster that is in the castle with David appears becoming outright moments of gibbering terror, enhanced even more by the fact that you can't see just how the monster looks at all!
It's just as he mentioned before; terror truly comes from the atmosphere, not the individual, nor the monster.
Lynch typically approaches his characters and plots in a way that steeps them in a dream state rather than reality, and such was the case for the actors who had to embody these new tropes and personalities. Liam Neeson as David managed to test the man to his limits where he had to embody not only an amnesiac, but one that at the same time could be extremely unlikeable and self-righteous, yet also pitiable and relatable. As more of his former memories and personality comes to light, the horror of his actions and the necessity of pinning them not on himself, but on Alexander, becomes his driving goal, not caring if he has to doom himself in the process.
It is ironic then that Agrippa, played by Jürgen Prochnow, brings perhaps the closest thing to salvation and understanding to David. A former colleague of Alexander, now his prisoner as he's tortured day in and day out in order to produce Vitae (the energy needed for the transportation to Alexander's dimension), he becomes David's oasis in the madness that the castle has become, lending an open ear, and counseling him when it all gets to be too much. Prochnow truly manages to evoke a reformed monster, who once like Alexander thought nothing of the cost for their goals, and now brings his wisdom to bear when it can do him no good, but perhaps it can for David.
But it's the role of Alexander of Brenneburg, played by the masterful Richard Harris, a veteran award winner for his countless roles in both film and on stage, that truly shines in his arrogance, his nobility, and his nuance, in both word and action. Alexander begins as the lowest kind of villain that could ever exist, and there is much evidence that supports such interpretation throughout the film, yet it's later recontextualized as more evidence also shows that he does not act out of sheer malice or evil, but out of a true, desperate desire to go back home. That he truly cares not for humans, for good or for ill, but that the actions he takes are motivated only by his desire to leave this dimension and never having to return. In a way, it asks the audience to think, and in some ways, understand the man's motives, even if they disagree with them.
And although Freddie Jones and Rutger Hauer had small roles in the film, it in no way made them irrelevant. Freddie, as a previous collaborator in Lynch's films, was able to give just what the director wanted in his role as Thurston Herbert, both in flashback and auditory hallucinations, the man who once was a friend to David and died so callously under the monster's claws. Rutger Hauer, however, managed in the final lines of the film to imbue it with such presence and care that if a future sequel is ever made, many would be clamoring to see just who is this man that managed to keep Alexander stymied for so long.
The movie was a hit with audiences and critics alike, with some even calling it a "masterful and refreshing new take on horror," what with the genre being dominated by Slashers as of late. To see a film that managed to invoke that age old feeling of terror, yet doing so without even showing blood or dead bodies, was a truly novel experience for the audience, who had gone in expecting another cerebral work from Lynch, getting that and much more. In some of the theaters, the late-night showings had to be cancelled as too many people were refusing to go out at night after seeing the film.
Perhaps that's one of the reasons why despite being a hit, it did not reach Blockbuster territory like the other, more generic Horror stories being released. Though to be fair, it was also released in the same month as John Carpenter releasing his version of The Thing From Outer Space, simply called The Thing. You had to give credit where its due, it was also a masterful horror story that managed to get the full backing of Disney when it came to its promotion, whereas Lynch refused to do any, saying that even a small hint of the film may have given away the entire plot. Frankly, it's a freaking miracle that you were able to get as much as you did, though it did suffer when it came to its release in both Europe and Japan. Even Romania, which could very well be called Lucasfilm territory, was not interested in a movie where they could hardly understand what was going on.
In the end though, it all came down once more to the VHS market. As word of mouth spread, and dares from those who had seen the movie were made amongst friends to watch it, the sales exploded to the point that a single run would not do. The movie ended up becoming something of a tradition, as Halloween movie nights would often include a showing, friends would dare each other to watch it with the lights off, and fans of David Lynch would add them to their collection, eventually gaining the coveted title of Cult Classic. A movie that not only made you feel the horror, but also forced you to think afterwards about how truly more horrifying it could get.
And for Mavis, she was finally given the accolades and attention that she deserved with her first ever movie being a hit. The premiere night that Carrie had to badger and convince her to attend together had her nearly enter an anxiety attack when the reporters swarmed her, only for you and your wife to move her along till she could recover.
Mary and Milly were little angels from above as their presence helped her go through the motions until she was able to enter and see the final product. And from the intense look in her eyes, the satisfaction which shone when David finally managed to stop Alexander, you could see that whatever had been that had kept such a tight grip on her heart and mind had, in some way, been finally exorcized.
She still had to call her brother to pick her up though, since she refused to go outside after the film.
For David Lynch though, it became one of the best productions he was a part of, and one of the best movies he felt he's ever made. On premiere night, you could see him and Mavis talking about a potential future collaboration if she ever made another Amnesia script. The thoughtful look on her face brought you both happiness for her being able to overcome whatever was troubling her before... and terror as to what she may come up with next.
There's already Amnesia: The Bunker, which is what I assume you're referencing with the connection to Overlord, but overmind already made a pitch for The Bunker and A Machine for Pigs, while I did Dark Descent and Justine. I've still got to do Rebirth though.
Yo! I'm back with a fan favorite as a pitch. I don't really want to say much about it, honestly. Not for any particular reason, I'm just a little drained right now. I'm not actually all that into the Office or shows like it. I don't think it's bad or anything, they just aren't my kind of show. I wanted to pitch more content for LucasTV and I thought that this show would be a shoe-in for our network. I specifically casted with the 90s in mind and I think that I did a pretty bang up job with the casting. As for the director, he has experience with comedy, as well as making stuff in the mockumentary style, so I think Guest is a good choice for Director/Showrunner. Hope you enjoy!
TV Show Pitch:
The Office Directed by: Christopher Guest
GENRE: Comedy SUBGENRE: Mockumentary/Sitcom FORMAT: TV Show
SET UP :The everyday lives of workers at a failing paper company, Dunder Mifflin, are caught on camera by a camera crew for a documentary. The crew follows the employees around 24/7 and captures their quite humorous and bizarre encounters as they will do what it takes to keep the company thriving.
Michael Scott
Played by: Steve Carell Alternate: Jim Carrey Alternate 2: Bryan Cranston
Jim Halpert
Played by: Matthew Perry Alternate: Paul Rudd
Pam Beesly
Played by: Drew Barrymore Alternate: Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Dwight Schrute
Played by: Jason Alexander
Kevin Malone
Played by: Kevin James Alternate: Chris Farley
Andy Bernard
Played by: Ben Stiller
Toby Flenderson
Played by: Ian Roberts
Ryan Howard
Played by: Paul Rudd Alternate: Alan Ruck
Kelly Kapoor
Played by: Sarita Choudhury
Creed Bratton
Played by: Creed Bratton
Robert California
Played by: Albert Brooks
Angela Martin
Played by: Lisa Kudrow
Jan Levinson
Played by: Nora Dunn
Erin Hannon
Played by: Shannen Doherty
Meredith Palmer
Played by: Catherine O'Hara
Holly Flax
Played by: Madeline Kahn
Darryl Philbin
Played by: Cedric the Entertainer Alternate: Chi McBride
Stanley Hudson
Played by: Reginald Vel Johnson
Oscar Martinez
Played by: George Lopez Alternate: Luis Guzman
[]The USFL: Carrie has another sports team under her belt, and she and the USFL are finally releasing their press statements. So let's see how you will do it. Also, Carrie said you needed to be there for a reason that would be amazing. DC: 40/???
Call it my euro brain moment because when I searched USFL some time ago and I saw United States Football League, I thought " Oh wow Carrie is starting a proto-MLS league". Now when I looked at it again I finally saw that it was an american football league that tried to compete with the NFL. I'm not an American but isn't that a really bad idea? What is its purpose? To get absorbed into the NFL or really trying to compete with the NFL for real and make a parallel league? The fact that it died in two years should be damning. But I'll wait and see.
Call it my euro brain moment because when I searched USFL some time ago and I saw United States Football League, I thought " Oh wow Carrie is starting a proto-MLS league". Now when I looked at it again I finally saw that it was an american football league that tried to compete with the NFL. I'm not an American but isn't that a really stupid idea? What is its purpose? To get absorbed into the NFL or really trying to compete with the NFL for real and make a parallel league? The fact that it died in two years should be damning. But I'll wait and see.
From what I understand they originally were playing in the NFL's off season. So it wasn't to bad it just meant different football teams in different parts of the year. The deathknell of the team happened when they did decide to play during the same time as the NFL. So as long as they don't do that they should be fine.
