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Paul Guay conceived and co-wrote "Liar, Liar" and co-wrote "The Little Rascals" and "Heartbreakers."
Paul and I had a wonderful conversation about movies and movie making, art and culture, the changing tide of media, being a writer and the writing process, Paul's love of WWE, his filmmaking experiences, the Auteur Theory of Film-Making and much much more.
If you are interested in how movies are made, how to make a career in Hollywood, how the landscape is changing as well as the art of cinema, novels, short stories, poems and how that culture impacts our lives and society, this is a conversation not to be missed.
SHOW NOTES:
(opening) Making Little Rascals in the 1930s versus 1994 versus (hypothetically) 2020
(6:50) Paul discusses the difficulty of making comedies today
(7:30) Paul talks about creating movies for domestic market versus worldwide market
(10:00) Paul talks about a recent film that really excites him.
(15:00) We discuss the TV market for screenplays
(19:00) Writing screenplays: What it is like being a Hollywood writer and how Paul would break into the industry were he starting out today.
(22:00) Those LITTLE RASCALS! and Boys Will be Boys and Diversity (writing in today's cultural climate)
(28:00) Themes in Paul's screenplays
(30:00) Ayn Rand on the writing process
(32:00) Writing Liar, Liar
(39:00) Paul explains the three things necessary for writing.
(42:00) Thinking on Paper - pre-writing essentials
(44:00) Working with professional editors and consultants
(48:00) Paul's script consulting services are discussed
(49:30) Insider stories of Liar, Liar and being called the "Fallopian tube of Comedy" by Jim Carrey
(54:00) Paul's love of WWE Wrestling
(1:02:00) We discuss wrestler Kane and Donald Trump's career
(1:10:00) Paul reads his poem "The Crystal Springs Way" (re-printed below)
(1:14:00) Paul's poetic influences
(1:22:30) Paul's favorite movies (see below)
(1:23:00) Ayn Rand's view of Ilm
(1:35:00) We spend the remainder of the time discussing the Auteur Theory of FIlm-making
Movies and Books Mentioned on the Show:
Dracula (1931)
SPECIAL LINKS:
The Crystal Springs Way
by Paul Guay
If thou ever chance
Upon Settlemoor,
My son,
A tiny town
In old New England state --
Then live with the natives
For a while,
Eat their bread and
Drink their wine --
So that their greatest treasure
May be thine.
If thou keep thine ear open,
Thy wits about thyself,
Thy tongue willing and
Kindly to all --
And ply the people
With plenty of ale, aye,
And merrily drink some too --
In time, I say, in time,
Thou will hear of the Crystal Springs.
Oh! for the Crystal Springs!
For the rushing bubbling brook
Where I spent my child days,
Swathed in green,
Skipping on stones across the stream
With friends long gone.
The Crystal Springs!
Plates of ice
In the white of winter,
Sun-kissed waters beckoning
Dappled boys in summer.
Where I went when I was lonely,
To be with liquid thoughts.
Where I plagued myself
With growing questions,
With who and what
And when and where and I.
Where I proposed joint life
To the girl I loved,
So many years ago....
Where the questions stopped.
Ah! The Crystal Springs!
The old order has passed,
Yet the water remains,
Always changing,
Always the same.
New feet leap old stones.
My friend, go,
Go and find
The Crystal Springs,
Where the child that was me
And the young man I outgrew --
Where I spent the happy days
Of my life.
