I recently submitted some broad essay pitches to a company that's building out their digital channels. If any of them are selected and come to fruition, I'll be sure to post a link here -- but if they don't, I just wanted to post them here for posterity.
Also, if they don't - I will try to write at least one of them out anyways because why not?
Why is Die Hard So Good?
This year is the 30-year anniversary of the greatest action film ever made, DIE HARD. And this essay seeks to dive into the history, philosophy, and legacy of the man behind the film, John McTiernan. The thru-line will be McTiernan’s unique voice and style. First, how it evolved from New York theater with European film influences into the genius of Die Hard. Why was it genius? We’ll exam the raw violence and excellent humor combined with camera movement never before attempted in the action genre. And finally, we’ll catalogue McTiernan’s subtle influence on film titans to come, like Tony Scott, Brad Bird, JJ Abrams, and Steven Soderbergh. A post-script might include that McTiernan is finally making a comeback after 14 years away from the entertainment industry.
The Rise of the Half-Hour Drama
This essay aims to prophesy future new mediums in prestige, dramatic television, starting with the half-hour drama. Starting a long time ago, arguably with In Treatment on HBO, creators started to experiment with the form. Now, amid ‘peak TV,’ there seems to be a renaissance. We’ll exam how different successful dramas approach the format in different ways: Atlanta, Vida, arguably Bojack Horseman, The Girlfriend Experience, and new big profile shows on the horizon like Homecoming starring Julia Roberts and directed by Sam Esmail. We’ll end by discussing what other formats might be on the horizon.
TV Evolution: From Anti-Hero to Anti-Heroine
This essay also seeks to dive into the changing world of Peak TV but through a gender-focused lens. Specifically, before Trump came to power or the #MeToo movement gained full momentum - there was a rise of a new sort of recurring figure in television: the anti-heroine. Patty Hewes of Damages, Carrie Mathison of Homeland, Claire Underwood of House of Cards – and the list has only grown since then (Jessica Jones, Game of Thrones, etc.) How do these characters differ from their male counterparts and predecessors? Are there still stereotypes or prejudices written into these characters – or do they do progressive work to break them? Is it time to declare the day of the indefensible male anti-hero over?
The Art of Hellboy
This one would admittedly be for those hardcore fans of the Hellboy graphic novels and movies (currently being rebooted) – and half the fun of this video essay would be the visual feast of Hellboy (and Mignola offshoot) work paired along with examples of his wide spectrum of influences from German expressionists to comic book titans Frank Miller & Jack Kirby. As well, we’d examine how much of this unique aesthetic translated to Del Toro’s film – and what’s in store with the Neil Marshall reboot of the franchise.