First, a word from our sponsors: I am now offering a new service: so much emphasis has been given lately to the importance of the opening of your screenplay, I now offer coverage for the first twenty pages at the cost of $20.00. For those who don’t want to have full coverage on their screenplay at this time, but want to know how well their script is working with the opening pages, this is perfect for you. I’ll help you not lose the reader on page one.
Ever wonder what a reader for a contest or agency thinks when he reads your screenplay? Check out my e-book published on Amazon: Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, including my series of essays, What I Learned Reading for Contests This Year. Only $2.99. http://ow.ly/xN31r,
And check out my script consultation services http://ow.ly/HPxKE
My recommendations for movie watching this week in L.A. 1/8-1/15/2016
ON NETFLIX: Written by John Hodge (from a novel by Irvine Welsh) and directed by Danny Boyle, Trainspotting is a roller coaster through the lives of some Irish drug addicts as seen through the eyes of Renton (Ewan McGregor), who also narrates. Wonderfully written, electrically directed and splendidly acted, if you haven’t seen this film yet, you should. Also with Johnny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle and Kelly Macdonald.
ON HULU: In Samurai Rebellion When a Lord wants to get rid of one of his concubines, he 
forces the son of his greatest Samurai (Toshiro Mifune, of course) to marry her. They fall deeply in love, but now the Lord wants his concubine back. Will the father and son give in or will they fight for her? Perhaps a little leisurely paced, still this film written by Shinobu Hashimoto and directed by one of Japan’s finest filmmakers Masaki Kobayashi (The Human Condition, Hari Kari, Kwaidan) is a very interesting study of people trapped by their time and culture.
FIRST RUN and OPENING: Revenant, The Hateful Eight, Star Wars: the Force Awakens
REVIVAL AND ART HOUSES:
AMERICAN CINEMATEQUE at The Egyptian: The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Hunger, 1/9; Performance, Ned Kelly, 1/10; The Big Sleep, 1/14; Yojimbo, Sanjuro, 1/15
AMERICAN CINEMATEQUE at The Aero: The Fencer, 1/8; Babe, 1/9; Fargo, Lost Highway, 1/9; Dark City, The Matrix, 1/10; American Psycho, Memento, 1/15
LACMA: The Philadelphia Story, 1/12
NEW BEVERLY: The Hateful Eight plays all week in special road show engagement
CINEFAMILY at the Silent Movie Theater: Chimes at Midnight, 1/8, 12, 13; Mustang, 1/8, 11, 12
UCLA ARCHIVES at the Hammer Museum: The Underworld Story, Try and Get Me, 1/9; The Argyle Secrets, Gentlemen Joe Palooka, 1/10
Howard Casner - Rantings and Ravings 