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| Novel Film Trailer Competition |  | |  | |
reviewed by Kristina Marie Darling | |
Established in an effort to bring socially pertinent works of fiction
to a larger audience, the first annual Novel Film Trailer Competition, http://novelfilmtrailer.com/, will be evaluating submissions of original films that depict scenes from published or forthcoming manuscripts. The contest, judged by literary and cinematic professionals Kate Gale of Red Hen Press,
Michael Neff of Web del Sol, and Don Thompson of Nextpix, plans to provide "a window into the mood, energy, and theme" of substantive novels through its ongoing series of compelling independent films. A fun, innovative new project that challenges the boundaries between forms and genres, the NFT Competition is a bold undertaking that will change the landscape of entertainment.
Michael Neff's Year of the Rhinoceros, a forthcoming novel that depicts a young liberal's disillusionment with Washington, is also featured on the website, including several short films and scripts that reflect the goals of the NFT Competition. Particularly impressive in his use of humor when depicting politics, the scenes available on the site reflect Neff's juxtaposition of the subversive with the absurd, resulting in a unique glimpse into the plot, tone, and stylistic approach of Year of the Rhinoceros. For example, he writes Babs on High, the scene in which protagonist Manny Eden meets his new boss, Babs Easton:
BABS: That's what it appears, Manny … But I don't believe it.
However, I've had funny reports.
MANNY: If they're funny … ?
BABS: You've been spinning around in your office, mumbling comedy
routines? Doing imitations of cartoon characters reciting the First
Amendment?
MANNY: It's a relaxer, Babs.
Combining comedy with social commentary, this scene from Michael Neff's
new book provides a fascinating glimpse into the project as a whole,
establishing disillusionment with government and the absence of
constitutional ideas in contemporary politics as themes that will be
central to the novel. A compelling piece of work that functions as
both a preview and a vignette, Babs on High, like many of Neff's
other short films on the NFT site, critiques conservative politics
while presenting readers with entertaining dialogue and an altogether original narrative voice.
Professionally acted and produced, other scenes on the NFT site, such
as Bad Boss Theory, continue to set a high standard for those who plan on entering the 2008 contest. Filled with literary allusions and provocative metaphors, this scene is a finely crafted work in its own right that places the author's views on the Reagan administration within the context of other works of art and literature, Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat being one example. Also impressive in its use of music as a metaphor for the content of the scene, Bad Boss Theory presents a well-read and multifaceted vision of political life. For example, the script reads:
MANNY: I won't damage my career, Elaine.
LANEY: What career? Your fuck-the-nation career? … I'm asking you not
to be a hypocrite. Is that so bad?
MANNY: No.
LANEY: Personalities are fragile creations, Mr. Eden. The agency will
force you to become an asshole if you don't act now.
Paired with Alden Wellman's song “The Scarecrow," this dialogue depicts
Manny, just as the lyrics suggest, as "the hollow man who tries
futilely to protect his country (farm) from the harm wrought by the
crows of corporation and corruption." The music, then, becomes a
thoughtful commentary on the interaction between Laney and Manny, which
is both contemplative and entertaining throughout. The NFT site
features many high-quality scenes like this one, which suggests that
the 2008 competition will be filled with engaging and worthwhile independent films.
Overall, the NFT site is a fun and artistically significant endeavor.
Ideal for fans of literary fiction and social commentary alike, this
site is definitely one to watch in 2008.
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Kristina Marie Darling, an English major at Washington University in St. Louis, received a nomination for a Pushcart Prize in 2006. Her chapbooks include: Fevers and Clocks (March Street Press, 2006) and The Traffic in Women (Dancing Girl Press, 2006), among others.
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