The document criticizes several popular romantic films as actually depicting stalker-like behavior disguised as romance. It analyzes scenes from "Say Anything" where Lloyd follows Diane obsessively and tells her father his goal is to be her boyfriend. In "The Graduate", Ben secretly follows Elaine around campus after she breaks up with him. "Love Stalker" is praised for depicting a situation where a man stalks a woman after she breaks up with him. The document warns that obsessive behavior and lack of boundaries shown in these films should not be considered realistic or healthy in real relationships.
If you are having trouble formulating a concise log-line for your story, chances are your plot is suffering from DGD (Dramatic Grammar Deficiency), or - worse - that you are failing to grasp the emotional logic of what is actually going on as evidenced by the actions and interactions of the characters. If this is not the case, then basically what you have to do is, look at the beginning of the second act of your story. That is the main chunk of it. You imply Act 1 with your protagonist’s adjective of manner that contrasts them against the new world of Act 2 they have dived deep into. You also must imply the consequences of the protagonist failing in your log-line to make things not boring when you tell someone about it so they’ll want to know more.
That’s literally all there is to it.
If you are having trouble formulating a concise log-line for your story, chances are your plot is suffering from DGD (Dramatic Grammar Deficiency), or - worse - that you are failing to grasp the emotional logic of what is actually going on as evidenced by the actions and interactions of the characters. If this is not the case, then basically what you have to do is, look at the beginning of the second act of your story. That is the main chunk of it. You imply Act 1 with your protagonist’s adjective of manner that contrasts them against the new world of Act 2 they have dived deep into. You also must imply the consequences of the protagonist failing in your log-line to make things not boring when you tell someone about it so they’ll want to know more.
That’s literally all there is to it.
This word document and its contents are copyrighted to Jessica J and BPC. Please do not use the contents of the word document or the narrative of the piece described in the work in any surcumstance. Leal action will be taken. Thank you.
READINGS[Story]VIDEOTAPEBy Don DeLillo. Fram the A.docxsodhi3
READINGS
[Story]
VIDEOTAPE
By Don DeLillo. Fram the Autumn issue of An-
taeus, the jOUTl'UlI'sfinal issue. DeLillo's most re-
cent novel is Mao II; his story "Pafko at the Wall"
appeared in the October 1992 issue of Harper's
Magazine.
It shows a man driving a car. It is the sim-
plest sort of family video. You see a man at the
wheel of a medium Dodge.
It is just a kid aiming her camera through
the rear window of the family car at the wind-
shield of the car behind her.
You know about families and their video
cameras. You know how kids get involved,
how the camera shows them that every subject
is potentially charged, a million things they
never see with the unaided eye. They investi-
gate the meaning of inert objects and dumb
pets and they poke at family privacy. They
learn to see things twice.
It is the kid's own privacy that is being pro-
tected here. She is twelve years old and her
name is being withheld even though she is
neither the victim nor the perpetrator of the
crime but only the means of recording it.
It shows a man in a sport shirt at the wheel
of his car. There is nothing else to see. The car
approaches briefly, then falls back.
You know how children with cameras learn
to work the exposed moments that define the
family cluster. They break every trust, spy out
the undefended space, catching Mom coming
out of the bathroom in her cumbrous robe and
turbaned towel, looking bloodless and plucked.
It is not a joke. They will shoot you sitting on
the pot if they can manage a suitable vantage.
The tape has the jostled sort of nonevent-
ness that marks the family product. Of course
the man in this case is not a member of the
family but a stranger in a car, a random fig-
ure, someone who has happened along in the
slow lane.
It shows a man in his forties wearing a pale
shirt open at the throat, the image washed by
reflections and sunglinr, with many jostled
moments.
It is not just another video homicide. It is a
homicide recorded by a child who thought she
was doing something simple and maybe
halfway clever, shooting some tape of a man
in a car.
He sees the girl and waves briefly, wagging a
hand without taking it off the wheel-an un-
derplayed reaction that makes you like him.
It is unrelenting footage that rolls on and
on. It has an aimless determination, a persis-
tence that lives outside the subject matter.
You are looking into the mind of home video.
It is innocent, it is aimless, it is determined, it
is real.
He is bald up the middle of his head, a nice
guy in his forties whose whole life seems open
to the handheld camera.
But there is also an element of suspense.
You keep on looking not because you know
something is going to happen---of course you
do know something is going to happen and
you do look for that reason but you might also
keep on looking if you came across this footage
for the first time without knowing the out-
come. There is a crude power operating here.
You keep on looking because things combine
to hold y ...
1. stl now
> Valentine’s Day. A day of candy
boxes, Hallmark cards and lingerie.
Couples everywhere are rekindling
their love or trying to keep it togeth-
er for the sake of roses, a fancy din-
ner and a late-night showing of the
romantic-film-of-the-moment. But,
the barrage of romance movies
clogging the local multiplex on
Cupid’s day of reckoning is not as
saccharine sweet as you think. So,
beware if you and your sweetie
decide to hit the theater on this
magical day.
I guess it goes without saying that my least
favorite films are romantic comedies. Why?
Because rom-coms, or romance dramas, tend to
put crazy ideas in people’s heads about what is
realistic romantic behavior and what is just plain
silly. If you don’t think it’s true, please explain
“Twilight” to me. Vampires and werewolves are not real, and quite frankly, if
they were, you should be really scared. Yet, there are teenage girls losing their
minds and grown women mentally sexing up barely-legal Edward and Jacob—
it’s all too much!
This got me to thinking about certain movies that are labeled “roman-
tic” but, in my opinion, are not romantic at all. I’m talking about movies that
present male characters doing “romantic” things that, in the real world, would
get them handcuffed and slapped with a restraining order. I’m talking about
romantic movies that are thinly veiled stalker films. This could be a whole new
genre. Nora Ephron and Nicholas Sparks, take notes.
“Say Anything” starring John Cusack and Ione Skye (1989)
This movie is the worst offender of “stalker-masquerading-as-romance.”
“Say Anything” follows the budding romance of an average student named
Lloyd Dobler and his infatuation with valedictorian Diane Court after they
graduate high school. By infatuation, I mean terrifying obsession.
This movie drifted into stalker territory with the infamous boom box scene.
If someone were standing outside your window blaring Peter Gabriel in the
wee hours of the morning, wouldn’t you frantically be dialing 911 and thinking
of the nearest hard object you could use to bludgeon him with?
That’s not the only stalker moment in the film. Think back to when Lloyd
lets Diane’s father in on his grand plan—telling him that his main goal in life is
to be Diane’s boyfriend. Seriously? When anyone tells you their biggest career
move is to be your boyfriend, start rethinking the relationship. This means
that a) this guy needs an excuse for not having gainful employment and/or b)
he is slowing reaching for a chloroform-soaked rag, you will soon be rendered
unconscious, and your body found two months later.
“The Graduate” starring Dustin Hoffman, Katherine Ross and
Anne Bancroft (1967)
Ben Braddock has an affair with Mrs. Robinson. He falls in love with Mrs.
Robinson’s daughter, Elaine, after one date. Ben then moves to Berkeley to
secretly follow Elaine around campus after she breaks it off with him because
she finds out about the hard-core affair with her mother. It’s a classic story
line if you are a stalker. Who falls in love after one date, packs up and moves to
that person’s city, then follows them around secretly? Oh, I know, a stalker. Get
where I’m going with this? Coo, coo, ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson…the stench of
Ben’s craziness is ripe!
“Love Stalker…An Unromantic Comedy” starring Matt Glasson and
Rachel Chapman (2011)
This indie film shot in St. Louis (and first aired at the St. Louis Interna-
tional Film Festival) is about a sex and relationship blogger, Stephanie, who
dates a loser, Pete, then breaks up with him after finding his little red book of
sexscapades. Said loser is heartbroken, has a bit of a nervous breakdown and
proceeds to stalk the heck out of her. The twist in the film is this: Maybe this
was the intended behavior Stephanie was hoping to provoke all along. Pete
realizes a little too late that all of his misguided and absurd antics were chroni-
cled in Stephanie’s blog. Way to go, sister! Flip that script! Finally, a romantic
stalker film that makes sense!
Every girl wants a little romance in their relationship. Cool. I can dig it.
But obsessive behavior and unhealthy boundaries aren’t the basis of a real-
life relationship. Do yourself a favor and keep an eye out for any suspicious
boom boxes, okay?
Romance is
in the Air
Or, are these films really all just a
bunch of stalker movies?
By Pamela Raymond | illustration by sarah quatrano
XXRayVision Never one to believe that sleep is com-
pletely necessary, Pamela Raymond keeps a hectic social
schedule, so she sees a lot of relationship dilemmas. A
native of New Orleans, Pamela infuses a mix of Southern
sass and Yankee tough love in all of her columns. Pamela
also writes a blog for “Girls Guide To The Galaxy” and
uses her MBA from Maryville University to run her own PR
and events firm, The Raymond Experience. You can follow
her on Twitter @RayExperience.
42 ALIVE STL FEBRUARY 2012 alivemag.com
