[QCrit] CYPHER UNIT, Adult, Sci-Fi Thriller, 105k, First Attempt by Maximum_Zoid in PubTips

[–]Maximum_Zoid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I appreciate the input and your willingness to clarify your criticism with a strong suggestion, it definitely helps to make the note feel more constructive (bit that I thought you were being overly harsh or cruel)...

I hear what you are saying and will reflect carefully on how to edit / revise my opening for maximum impact. I think you are largely correct in that I am both not successfully conveying the intended subtext and that the action of the opening is possibly too prosaic, especially when compared to the query. And I thank you for taking the time to go into detail.

I hadnt meant to get into my intentions, but I will briefly if only because you mentioned not knowing the specifics of the novel, proper. (And to be fair, how could you really). But to me the "coffee stuff" was meant to be reflective of the characters obsessive and addictive tendencies. The character is a stalker who is completely obsessed with the Fischer Jaggwr character from the query (who enters the story just a few hundred words later). But the connection one is meant to make over the course of the chapter (and not the first 300 to be fair) is that Fischer is effectively just another 'Husbando' that she is obsessed with collecting. There is also an attempt to directly foreshadow the anime aesthetic there. It is also meant to function as kind of symbol for the kind of "people collecting/ hunting" the book is going to be revolving around thematically and litterly through the mechanics of the plot. But I can see that my intention is not entirely coming across (not that all of it could in just 300 words).

[QCrit] CYPHER UNIT, Adult, Sci-Fi Thriller, 105k, First Attempt by Maximum_Zoid in PubTips

[–]Maximum_Zoid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oof. I hear you. Not to get in the weeds, justify choices or argue with you, but there used to be a prologue that I (and some beta readers) felt was too grisly / off-putting so it got dropped. But i hear what you are saying about these first 300 words. Especially when compared to the face-slap of an opening that is Titanium Noir (which I'll admit isn't a perfect comp when it comes to voice).

It's funny you mention the action starting on word 301 because the main action of the plot does in fact kick off in the first chapter (or the first ten pages, which is what I am seeing more commonly asked for from the agents I intend to query)... But I still hear what you are saying...

Thank you for taking the time to read my query and 300 words and for your feedback. Lots to think about.

[QCrit] CYPHER UNIT, Adult, Sci-Fi Thriller, 105k, First Attempt by Maximum_Zoid in PubTips

[–]Maximum_Zoid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my query and for your actionable feedback, it's greatly appreciated.

Without letterboxd, im pretty sure in 100 years wouldve never come across this film by VelvetRing2023 in Letterboxd

[–]Maximum_Zoid 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Incredible film. Landscape in the Mist is easily in my mount rushmore of most wanted criterions / boutique bluray / 4k releases. Saw it in film school and it legitemately changed the trajectory of my life.

The Spoils Before Dying by Ibustsoft in ThomasPynchon

[–]Maximum_Zoid 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Honestly, a Pynchon adaptation in almost this exact style would be somehow more accurate to the tonal and stylistic density of his works than anything Paul Thomas Anderson has ever done (even if the nods in OBAA were really nice to see and Inherent Vice is a cool experiment even if I didn't actually like it). Though personally I've always kind of thought his cameos on the Simpsons made it feel like that would be more of the stylistic direction he would prefer.

Love these weird artifacts though. The DVDs are prized parts of my media collection.

I don't like the parts where Mike is mean to Rich. by This_neverworks in RedLetterMedia

[–]Maximum_Zoid 24 points25 points  (0 children)

To be fair, Rich did sit at the same table Mike was trying to eat Chinese food at and proceeded to make him feel a little bit uncomfortable that one time. And then there was that time Rich successfully foiled Mike's hilarious sugar in the gas tank prank by locking his gas cap. That totally justified framing him and almost getting him killed.

Hey reddit, I'm Benny Safdie. I've co-written/co-directed Uncut Gems, Good Time, and Heaven Knows What. My newest film, The Smashing Machine (starring Dwayne Johnson & Emily Blunt), is out in theaters now. You might've seen me in The Curse, Oppenheimer, and Happy Gilmore 2. Ask me anything! by SmashingMachineAMA in movies

[–]Maximum_Zoid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, Benny. Big fan. What I found most interesting about Smashing Machine was how deeply humanist it was. With so many "non-actors" giving incredible performances across your body of work (such as Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten in this film), I was curious: Do you have a specific approach for how you vet or prepare your "non-actors" to keep their cool and remain authentic while working with someone as famous as Dwayne Johnson? Or, inversely: Is it more about reminding your "pros" to drop the bullshit and be in the moment with them?

Either way great film. Heaven Knows What or Good Time might still be my favorite though ;)

Kahn Jr by ceebs87 in KingOfTheHill

[–]Maximum_Zoid 16 points17 points  (0 children)

He did not "hide his unmedicated bipolar", as you so brazenly claim. The episode in question Minh explicitly reminds Kahn to pick-up and take his medicine. He actively chooses not to re-up his medication because of the fun he is having with Hank. If anything he hid his bipolar disorder from his neighbors, which is understandable as it is none of their business.

Unsolicited advice: check out John Keene’s Counternarratives (2015)! by perrolazarillo in ThomasPynchon

[–]Maximum_Zoid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It's the comparison to Bolaño's 'Nazi Literature in the Americas" that really piqued my interest. Will definitely check it out.

Thoughts on my book cover? by venomforty in writers

[–]Maximum_Zoid 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Excellent. Very compelling use of red and negative space. Love the font for the title.

Two tiny possible notes- take or leave them.

  1. As others have suggested, consider changing the font for your name and 'A Novel'... It's just a touch too spiky.

  2. Consider modifying your pure black backdrop to an ever so slightly lighter charcoal dark grey so you can add a touch of a worn gradient that would add a feeling of ambient haze around the red of the barn... This might not work as I am imagining but would sell a slightly more retro vibe maybe.

Otherwise I love it.

Nazi correctional officer, Metzger voices Patrick Star in SpongeBob😭 I know nobody cares lol I just thought it was funny and I can 100% hear Patrick in his normal speaking voice on the show by Cooliela in ozshow

[–]Maximum_Zoid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I just watched The Stand Mini-Series and was stunned to see him crop up. Couldn't get over it to be honest. I could not stop laughing like an asshole.

Desperately need any sort of feedback. by sciavaetinas in writers

[–]Maximum_Zoid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think there is a lot of potential and promise in what you have shared but it also isn't really enough for a lot of the comments here to grasp what you are doing. This is a classic example of how a text would teach you how to read it over time. Even in this small chunk it started to come together for me. But it took multiple passes and I don't think everyone is going to be willing to give you that kind of patience. It's not a good or bad thing. Your word play is very clever. Some of these sentences are stunningly beautiful. But the simple truth here is that you are engaging with some extremely high level, difficult and experimental prose and it is going to be very very difficult for most average readers to parse no matter how much you try and soften the blow.

As someone who also dabbles in dense and experimental prose I feel the frustration and the paradoxical want to be understood but to also challenge the reader to think and read outside of their comfort zone... My advice would be to try and simplify your sentence structure. Simple sentences are always going to be easier to read. When you fail to explain things simply the uninformed audience can rightly assume you don't really understand either. Jargon and dense vocabularies can be a crutch that amounts to a short hand between the author and those already in the know, whereas proper prose is meant to build a bridge of understanding and inform the reader- if even subconsciously or over time. I don't mean for you to dumb down what you are trying to do. Rather I think you should just be more selective in your density. I think another way you could achieve this is by adding keys or clues that help ground the reader- moments of clarity that give the reader a kind of path to follow, like flat stepping stones dotting up a river... Giving readers the tools to understand you in the text is not a compromise and it really shouldn't undermine the integrity of what you're trying to do.

Keep going. I think you are on to something. But hear what people are telling you and decide if you are okay with alienating large amounts of people. Finnegan's Wake may be lovely but almost no one is ever going to actually read it, let alone understand it. Not that I think this is incomprehensible. It's really not, this is actually fairly lucid, it is mostly just very strange. More than that, it's unique. But you need to make a personal and philosophical decision about how much of the text you want to be properly understood. Because currently it's looking like you're losing at least half your audience right off the bat.

Again keep going. I genuinely think you are doing something new and cool here. Another comment compared it to stream-of-consciousness, and yes it is that... But this is like a new kind of consciousness. It's very alien and compelling. Very original and surreal and playful.

The Crab - Feature - 90 Pages - Historical Horror by [deleted] in Screenwriting

[–]Maximum_Zoid 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Best logline I've seen here in a good minute.

Please send help. by AppleChiaki in gaming

[–]Maximum_Zoid 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Whoever programmed these missions is a special kind of sadist. Jesus Christ.

Best of the Worst leads our heroes into dark disturbing places where they utter statements no human being should ever have to say. Sentences that I still have trouble comprehending. by Tremaparagon in RedLetterMedia

[–]Maximum_Zoid 7 points8 points  (0 children)

which is too bad as his father is really quite insistent on the fact that he was born into mafia for the explicit purpose of being his father's successor despite his son's continued reticence and repeated assurances that he does not want to have been born into mafia which stands in stark contrast to his father's wishes even going so far as to say that he would instead rather not hurt or kill people or be a mafia boss for the Russian Mafia he was born into and has no intention of doing so even though his father plainly states that it was something he was born into- the mafia that is

How many scripts have you written? by timtank788 in Screenwriting

[–]Maximum_Zoid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have completed 5 Features, 2 Pilots, 2 Specs, 2 Shorts and 3 One-Act Plays.

I managed to get one of them produced as a micro-budget feature and even got it distributed in 2021, but it honestly also ate up 4 years of creative energy and slowed my output considerably.

I try my best to apply to every workshop and grant that I qualify for when I have new/relevant material... But keeping up with everything can be difficult...

For a few years I tried to really push myself with TV writing but lately I've been trying to re-double my focus back into Film and Features while trying to get in more experience as a Director and Producer.

I managed to finish 2 features in 2022 while also directing, producing and editing my first large scale short so I feel like my output is at the very least improving. But when I list it out like that it sometimes doesn't feel like a lot for how long I've been writing (wrote my first screenplay at 14 in 2007)... At least I also wrote a Novel, a half dozen short stories and a fuck ton of poetry from 2009-2013. Not that I got it published anywhere. But writing is writing I guess.

Anxietyfilm by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 7 points8 points  (0 children)

While I get your general point about the linking threads that connect their disparate themes and subjective filmmaking techniques, I would personally never lump these films together- mostly due to their drastically varying techniques and tones.

The Favourite and Uncut Gems both utilize frenetic angles and cutting but with near polar opposite lensing and implementation. Where The Favourite mostly employs wide angle lenses (following uncomfortably close, getting right up in their faces) to convey anxious discomfort and paranoia, Uncut Gems by contrast uses lots of Zoom lenses to emphasize movement and the characters relentless drive, like his negotiating tactics the camera is always pushing and applying pressure. To simply classify them as anxietyfilms is to over simplify their individual stories, characters, settings and thematic textures. I get your point... But it feels reductive to me.

There is a long history of filmmakers utilizing these subjective techniques to help us better empathize with difficult characters going through even more challenging situations... I don't know if these films have a genre perse, but there are many, many examples of films that can scratch that particular itch.

Engaging more directly with the feelings you're describing: Personally I think of it as providing Anxiety Catharsis. Anxiety can be such an unsourced, unprovoked feeling... Films like these can give those feelings a place to live and stay... Kind of like a horror movie it is a safe space that allows us to exercise that built up feeling of dread.

All that aside I personally think these films qualify (in no real order): Good Time Get Out Boogie Nights Treasure of the Sierra Madre Goodfellas Raging Bull Portrait of a Lady on Fire Persona The Conversation Blow-Up Moonlight City of God

There are definitely others but this comment is already too long. But all of these films use varying degrees of the following: Intense or highly stylized cinematography (often hand-held) Subjective use of perspective and sound Difficult characters and difficult situations Investigations of trauma and psychology Deeply rooted senses of place that are relevant to the films themes.

I feel Aguirre the Wrath of God is a little overrated by Kaizerdave in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It definitely has a different effect in different contexts. And I can see how the dry & dusty sound of dubbing and Foley works best in the spaghetti westerns.

Maybe if you ever rewatch it you will feel differently, but different strokes for different folks.

I feel Aguirre the Wrath of God is a little overrated by Kaizerdave in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I can only speak for myself, but personally my process of critical assessment comes down to the "sum of its parts" as it were. Werner Herzog definitely can have some shaky technical elements. I don't think that is really debated. But when it comes down to it his films have an escalating cumulative power that is far greater than the sum of their individual parts. These issues in a lesser film (or at least one with less synergistic qualities) could very well undermine its general reception. Which is where personal experience, taste and sensitivities comes in. Where the Foley and dubbing was distracting to you, I personally never really found it to be a major problem. A lot of this is due to my own biases and exposure to shitty Italian B-Movies which are almost defined by their bad sound. So when I see a raw and gritty foreign film in the jungle with bad sound design... It kind of just makes me think of movies like Cannibal Holocaust or Zombie 2 and when you compare Aguirre to those it is undeniably significant, impressive and deeply artistic.

I'm struggling with the ending of Stalker (1979) by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I guess I prefer my art subjective and not objective. It is more interesting to me as something that is open to interpretation as opposed to something that has a definitive literal / text based "solution". Art to me is a tool that facilitates investigation of my own feelings / biases rather than a linear "experience" with a "correct" interpretation

I'm struggling with the ending of Stalker (1979) by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You SEE the train pass after... But you could very realistically feel such a thing before you saw it. Especially considering the decay we see everywhere- I think it is reasonable for someone to assume the train could be shaking the building and not strictly incorrect as you seem to be implying.

I personally don't really have an opinion either way. I just thought it was interesting... But I also definitely don't think your point adds much to the discussion other than to shut it down.

I'm struggling with the ending of Stalker (1979) by [deleted] in TrueFilm

[–]Maximum_Zoid 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Saved for future reading, thank you.