Jason Hellerman
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Articles by Jason Hellerman
The Exorcist Ending Explained
Horror has gone through several periods, but the most notable shift came in 1973, when William Friedkin’s classic The Exorcist changed everything. William Peter Blatty adapted the movie from his 1971 novel of the same name, and the film shook audiences to their core. You had stories of people fainting, screaming, or real-life exorcists seeing it and saying that's just how it is in their line of work, plus other sensational tales that only made the movie's legend grow.
Halloween Quote of the Day: The 1978 Iconic ‘Halloween’ Line That Became a Horror Classic
I remember the first time I saw the movie Halloween. I was at a sleepover with a bunch of guys, and it came on cable. We were probably in sixth grade and stopped the channel surfing because we saw some boobs. Yeah, it was that easy to get attention back then. Anyway, we stayed for the opening scene, and the rest scared us. Beyond coming of age from boy to man, Halloween changed my view on movies. It was the first time I had heard about independent film.
What Are The Best John Carpenter Scores?
I was at trivia last night and learned John Carpenter scored 14 of his 18 feature films. I was flabbergasted. So I went home and blasted the scores. Man, there's just something about Carpenter's movies and music that gets you excited about storytelling. They were the perfect companion to my writing, and I plan on using my playlist over and over for this new spec. Either way, today, I wanted to rank my top 5 best John Carpenter scores and talk about what makes them so special.
Ranking the 5 Best 'Hitchcock Blondes'
I think the first time I felt something stir inside me was when I saw a woman watching a Hitchcock movie. The director had a certain way of showing, a leer you could call the male gaze, but it felt like it went even deeper than that. And he became famous for using that feeling around blondes. The Hitchcock Blonde became an enduring cultural symbol of his thrillers and gave us the archetype of the icy, glamorous, intelligent, fiercely independent woman at the center of his movies.
10 Best Tom Skerritt Movies
Tom Skerritt is one of American cinema’s most quintessential character actors. We lost him yesterday, and I have spent the last twenty-four hours going over his massive list of starring roles, trying to pick the ones I love most. Skerrit could play anything or anyone. He brought gravity to every genre and knew how to channel our hopes and dreams, as well as our biggest fears. He built a reputation for elevating every scene he entered without ever needing to steal the spotlight.
Film Quote of the Day: The 2003 Morgan Freeman Line That Gives a Different Meaning to Faith in Action
I spent 12 years in Catholic School, so I know a thing or two about miracles. They usually come from saints whose lives seem horrible and hard, or from the guy they nailed to the cross. But one funny Jim Carrey movie put the fun back in faith: Tom Shadyac’s Bruce Almighty (2003). You get Jim Carrey at the peak of his physical-comedy powers, channeling God's strength for laughs. Oh, and God? Morgan Freeman plays him, which makes sense.
Public Domain Horror Films Every Filmmaker Should Study
Every year, movies enter the public domain, and filmmakers everywhere rejoice. That means we can go in, play with them, strip them down in our edits, use them as background, or study them and see how they work on a new level. These movies get there because of historical copyright oversights, forgotten renewal filings, or lapsed protections, but they all benefit the public! Today, I want to look at a few public-domain horror movies and some lessons you can glean from them. Let's dive in. 1.
5 Best Horror Movies For Kids (That Are Actually Scary)
What are the Best Horror Movies For Kids that may actually scare them in a good way?
Film Quote of the Day: The Heath Ledger Line From ‘10 Things I Hate About You’ That Still Feels Meaningful
When you're a teenager, few things hit harder than a movie that feels like it speaks to you. You can feel like no one understands you, but then you press play, and an opus speaks to you and shows you what you didn't even know you needed. That's how many millennials and Gen Xers felt watching 1999’s 10 Things I Hate About You. You had this all-star cast riffing on Shakespeare's classic The Taming of the Shrew, but in high school.
Stephen King on the Simple Horror of 'Carrie'
It's spooky season, so I have been going through a lot of retro horror movies and showing them to my one-year-old son, so he has a basis for the genre and can start ahead of all the other kids in daycare, who maybe haven't seen the classics. This week, we tapped into Carrie, which also got him ready for school dances and pig's blood.
5 Glen Powell Movies You May Have Forgotten He Was In
I met Glen Powell in the waiting room of a now-defunct production company. We became friends instantly. The guy has so much charisma; you just want ot be around him and watch him on screen. It's been a pleasure watching his career grow, but I think not enough people give him credit for how hard he's worked to get where he is, as a marquee leading man across hits like Top Gun: Maverick, Anyone But You, Hit Man, and Twisters.
100 Creature Feature Writing Prompts
I have been on a kick lately watching a ton of creature features. Hollywood used to thrive on B-movies packed with monsters, gore, and shocking ideas. Those movies sometimes even went mainstream, with creatures like Jaws and the Swamp Thing becoming part of the cultural lexicon. One of the best ways to break into Hollywood is through the horror genre, and one of the most fun things to write in horror is a creature feature.
David Fincher Said He Can’t Write a Script - More Directors Should Embrace That Humility
I think the biggest problem in Hollywood right now is that studios and production companies are trying to save a buck, so they treat everyone as an auteur and ask them to write and direct. And that's given us a generation of writers who should be directors and directors who should not be writing. With a bunch of bad movies to show for it. The thing is, you don't have to write and direct to be an auteur.
The Meanest Horror Animals in Cinema History
I had a debate with a buddy this week about whether the creature from The Thing was an animal or, like, an entity. I am on the team that it's not an animal, probably an alien. Anyway, that got us talking about animals in horror movies. From man's best friend to horrifying predators, animals bring out emotions and also allow us to empathize with one another. Also, as many movies have noted, we're all just animals on the inside, too.
What is Theme in Movies and TV?
Your script theme needs to carry both the weight of the story and a connection to the audience. That's a significant burden to bear. So how can you tell if your theme is coming across, or if you even have one? I went to Catholic School growing up, and we were ALWAYS writing theme papers. They had to have thesis statements followed by three paragraphs supporting the thesis and a closing paragraph. Flash forward to now, and that's basically what I do for a living here.
The 10 Most Cursed Horror Children to Ever Grace the Screen
Kids are fun and full of life. But sometimes they're full of the devil. Or another ancient demon hell-bent on destroying life on Earth. Whether they're possessed by ancient demons, born the Antichrist, or simply operating on a level of unhinged malice, cursed kids are such a huge part of the horror genre. They star in some of our favorite movies, and today, I wanted to do a post dedicated to them and the horror that surrounds them. Let's dive in.
Why Film Studios Are Trading Sound Stages for Data Centers
It's so weird when national news converges with Hollywood news, but today I want to talk about the building of data centers. And not in the context of the masterpiece, Eddington. I want to talk about them because many sound stages are sitting vacant and are being converted into data centers. That's pretty crazy, and it seems like something we all need to talk about and to know about.
Film Quote of the Day: The ‘The Princess Bride’ Moment That Turned One Word Into a Comedy Classic
I feel like The Princess Bride is one of those movies where you remember the first time you watched it. For me, it was on VHS, rented from the Exton Library, on New Year's Eve. Pretty epic time to see it. That's where I learned the word "Inconceivable" and the power of just one word in all dialogue writing. Rob Reiner’s 1987 classic was adapted for the screen by legendary writer William Goldman, and the confidence to wrap all the emotions into one word and define the scene that way is just amazing.
Film Quote of the Day: The Brendan Fraser Line From ‘The Mummy’ That Defines Rick O’Connell
I think I was in 5th grade when The Mummy came out. And I remember distinctly going to see it, my first "horror" movie in theaters. I was nervous, but it seemed so cool to me in the trailers. What I got was an adventure movie with some sexy ladies, a suave hero, and enough horror to intrigue me without going over the top. Stephen Sommers’ The Mummy wasn't just a hit with me, but it became a hit at the box office with a massive cult following that demanded more of Rick, Evie, and the gang.
Public Domain Monsters To Scare Up Your Stories
It's monster movie season. That means people are looking for specs to scare up their darkest inclinations and to make the hairs on the backs of their necks stand up. But you know how Hollywood works; people want IP in order to sell this stuff. And while horror specs are among the most profitable, you kind of want there to be another reason to entice them, too.
DP David Kruta on Lensing Deceit and Brutalism in 'Orion'
In an era dominated by visual effects and digital imagery, cinematographer David Kruta prefers to tackle the challenge of making everything feel real. For Orion, a psychological science fiction movie directed by Jaco Bouwer, Kruta faced a unique creative challenge: how to tell a story rooted in amnesia and deceit when the images must tell the whole story? Oh yeah, and almost the whole thing is confined to just one room.
Film Quote of the Day: The Clint Eastwood War Movie Line That Echoes the Marines' Unofficial Motto
Clint Eastwood's filmography is so extensive that you forget a bunch of movies. He starred in a bunch that are also great. One I particularly love is Heartbreak Ridge, a riff on the old "warrior comes home to train a new batch" trope; that's basically Top Gun: Maverick before even Top Gun came out. Seriously though, Eastwood plays a drill sergeant who has never risen in the ranks and comes back to an ex in a military town to train some new cadets who need a good kick in the butt.
The Worst Horror Mommies In Cinema History
When you think about your favorite movie moms, they're the ones who stand up for their kids, protect them, and do a great job just being there when you need a shoulder to cry on or some deep advice. They fit into those archetypes we see in our own mothers and bring out the best in us. Unless you're really into the horror genre. Because horror movie moms are the complete opposite. They're oppressive, insane, evil, and unkind.
How to Light a Terrifying Horror Scene on an Indie Budget
We get a lot of emails here at No Film School, and recently, I got one asking for a few tips on making an indie horror film. Well, I have never done that! But luckily, I have a lot of friends, so I called around and got some tips and tricks that I think would help people with the lighting. We'll cover some other aspects of this later. It all comes down to shaping shadows and manipulating what the audience can’t see.
Film Quote of the Day: The Unexpected Wisdom Hidden in This 'Pulp Fiction' Line
Sometimes I think about what audiences felt watching Pulp Fiction for the first time. Were they blown away? Did people lose their minds in the theatres when the music played, and the dialogue popped, and the gunfire exploded? To me, this is Quentin Tarantino's masterpiece, a crazy look at the underbelly of Los Angeles and the gangsters who run the streets.
Why 'The Magician's Nephew' Could Change How Fans See the Entire Narnia Saga
I grew up on The Chronicles of Narnia. I was an avid fan of the old BBC series versions and even of the Disney/Walden movies, which upped the scope and scale. But despite these books being so popular, the movies always stop short of delivering the entire story. That's why I was so excited to see that Academy Award–nominated filmmaker Greta Gerwig is preparing to bring The Magician’s Nephew to the big screen.
Film Quote of the Day: The Quietest Line About Blind Obedience in 'Pan's Labyrinth'
I was a senior in high school when Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 masterpiece, Pan’s Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno), came out. I remember going to the movies to see it, and having no idea I had to read subtitles. It took me a second to get used to them, but suddenly I was transported to a time and a place that both scared and awed me.
The 10 Greatest Dad Movies Ever Made
Now that I have a kid, I'm ready to enter my sweatpants-and-afternoon-snooze era. You know, the Saturday position many dads take, where they put on basic cable, relax on their only day off, maybe after cutting the grass, and watch a movie. A Dad movie. Oh, you know what a dad movie is? It's the one that, if caught on TV halfway through it, will hold any dad hostage until the credits roll.
Why Horror Is the Most Consistently Profitable Genre in Box Office History
One of my buddies sold a horror spec for a few hundred thousand dollars last week and was shocked at the number. When he told me, he thought they were kidding; I told him he deserved it, not just because it was a great script but because the studio would make a lot of money off of it. The thing is, horror movies make big bucks at the box office. They are consistently among the most reliable genres in all of Hollywood. Today, I want to go over why horror continues to print money. Let's dive in.
14 Years Ago, Ben Affleck Turned an Almost Unfilmable True Story Into an Oscar Winner
Ben Affleck was one of the most popular actors on the planet when he turned to directing. He was sick and tired of not getting the kinds of movies he wanted to star in, so he decided to make them himself. When Argo hit theaters in October 2012, I am not sure people were ready for the version of Ben Affleck that had it all, but that's what they got.
5 Hugh Jackman Movies That Proved He Was More Than Wolverine
I think most of the world recognizes Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. He's just so amazing in that role, and from the moment he graced our screens, it was like this epic perfection in casting. But the problem with being one of the most famous superheroes in the world is that people often forget your other, non-heroic roles. Jackman's range outside the X-Men franchise proves he is a consummate song-and-dance showman, a brooding dramatic heavyweight, AND an intense character actor. Let's dive in. 1.
Film Quote of the Day: The Funniest Warning About John Wayne’s Gunslinger in 'Angel and the Badman'
John Wayne has been in so many rugged Westerns that he became synonymous with gunfights and tense heroes. But the first Western he actually produced and starred in came with themes of pacifism and a lot of dry humor. That movie was James Edward Grant’s 1947 film Angel and the Badman. It's like this snappy dialogue movie that digs into the personalities of people we haven't seen in other westerns. You can see what drew Wayne to it and how much fun he had playing Quirt Evans.
100 Slasher Film Prompts
We're getting in the Halloween mood, and that means reading some scary screenplays and trying to come up with ideas that get execs across town excited. One of my favorite genres to write is a slasher film, which is just Agatha Christie with more bodies. But it can be hard to come up with ideas for them. Enter this list of 100 prompts that should get the wheels turning and let your ideas take flight. So get your knives, ice picks, and pickaxes ready, and start stabbing your best work on the page.
What Western Directors Can Teach Today's Filmmakers
I am of the mind that you can get lessons in directing from any movie you watch. Good or bad, there are things you can latch onto to decide how you want to do things, and visuals that may inspire you. Yeah, we all know about Hitchcock’s suspense, Kubrick’s symmetry, and Spielberg’s sense of wonder. But I'm here to tell you to look toward the humble Western film for some of the best lessons in directing you can get.
10 Creative Challenges to Take Your Filmmaking to the Next Level
Last week I started a new spec. It was a genre that I haven't worked on since, like, 2017, and it was immediately hard. There were days I felt like I was making stupid choices, and the pages didn't come easily. But it has also been so fulfilling, because the wins have not come easily, but they make me feel like I am a genius. This is a story I've always wanted to write, and even if it's a challenge to do it, it's making me a better writer every day.
Film Quote of the Day: Matt Damon's Poker Wisdom From 'Rounders'
Rounders was so popular with me and my friends I thought it was the start of a franchise. This Matt Damon poker movie got all my friends into Texas Hold 'em and started an underground gambling ring across many basements in America. Screenwriters David Levien and Brian Koppelman crafted a script that felt steeped in authentic underground poker terminology and built a world that you wanted not only to be in but to master.
L.A.’s Soundstage Real Estate Bubble Has Burst. Here’s What It Means for Filmmakers
When I moved to Los Angeles in 2012, I was an intern. And every time there was an errand on a studio lot, I'd volunteer to go. That was like the best gig to get, because once you were done dropping off the mail or picking up a DVD, you could wander around and see your favorite TV shows and movies being made. It was a vibrant time that felt like it would never end. But it has.
How Ben Affleck’s Artists Equity Is Redefining Film Financing Models
I respect Matt Damon and Ben Affleck so much. They have just done Hollywood in a way I find so inspirational. They wrote themselves the roles they weren't getting in Good Will Hunting, and now, with all the power and status they have achieved, they have a company, Artists Equity, focused on paying people fairly. You can't get much better than that. Four years into that endeavor, Affleck opened up in a conversation with Variety about how the company works.
The Vietnam War Films That Defined a Generation
I was not alive during the Vietnam War, so the only things I have to shape my opinion about the time and conflict are books and movies. They say that history is written by the victors, but I think it's captured by the artists. So how did filmmaking artists shape the way we think and feel about Vietnam? From movies like Operation Dumbo Drop to Forrest Gump, Vietnam has appeared on screen in many different ways.
Why This 'Magnificent Seven' Character Got Right to the Point
There are os many great Western quotes out there, and so little time to write about them all. There are these long monologues that are beautiful and even some passionate pleas. But today, I wanted ot talk about a line from one of the most famous Westerns of all time that is just pure badassery. It's from John Sturges' 1960 classic The Magnificent Seven,which we know is an adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai by screenwriter William Roberts.
How Greig Fraser Brought ‘Project Hail Mary’ to Life: Cameras, Aspect Ratios, and In-Camera Magic
One of the movies I find myself constantly rewatching is Project Hail Mary. I feel like it perfectly adapted Andy Weir's amazing book and brought it to life on the big screen. Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller teamed up with Oscar-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser, ASC, ACS (Dune, The Batman), to make something that was not just a crowd-pleaser but also had all the tech heads humming all year thanks to its epic visuals.
Aaron Sorkin Explains What AI Gets Wrong About Storytelling
I was trying to think of a more famous screenwriter in modern Hollywood than Aaron Sorkin, and I came up with nothing. The guy has been making movies and TV shows we love since the early 90s, and he gives a great sound bite and an even better interview. That's why I was so pumped to see him do this wide-ranging conversation with Esquire editor-in-chief Michael Sebastian. These sit-downs are intimate, and you get to hear the real thoughts and ideas Sorkin has had throughout his illustrious career.
Film Quote of the Day: Why 'Contact' Understood Human Connection Better Than Any Sci-Fi Movie
What's out there in the deepest annals of space? Are there people? And will they ever send us a message? Maybe they're already here. These are the questions posed by Carl Sagan in his novel Contact, which Robert Zemeckis adapted into one of my favorite films of all time. It's a movie that dares to say we are as interesting as whatever is out there. And until we overcome our differences here, we're not going to be talking with them much.
When Courtroom Dramas Dominated Hollywood
I went to see Coyote v. Acme the other week, and I was explaining to my wife that it wasn't just crazy that we got a Looney Tunes movie; it was even crazier that we got a courtroom drama. Because aside from that Netflix movie, The Trial of the Chicago 7, I was having a hard time remembering when the last theatrical studio-made courtroom drama came out. Juror No. 2 comes to mind, but again, that was a lower-budget film and had a special scenario around it, being Eastwood's last movie.
Digger Ending Explained
Despite not having a strong opening box office weekend, Alejandro Iñárritu's Digger is still the talk of the town and online. The social satire about how our obsession with fossil fuels will end the world as we know it pulls the rug out from under the audience early on. And then its moral twists and turns keep coming until we're left in a dystopian daze that takes a conversation in them obby and a long drive home to talk it out. Today, I want to go into what the ending of Digger really means.
Film Quote of the Day: The James Bond Line That Delivered a Perfect Insult
It's hard to believe that the James Bond franchise started 64 years ago with 1962's Dr. No. As a James Bond fan, I've loved rewatching these movies over the years. These movies have always been binge-watches for me. I start with one, and then suddenly I'm five deep in the world of spies. Along the way, there are many lines like "Bond. James Bond," that ring out as defining moments.
Uniting LED Volumes and Live Visual Chaos: Cinematographer Bradford Lipson on 'Rolling Loud'
How do you film a scripted narrative in the middle of a massive, multi-day music festival featuring tens of thousands of hyped fans, unpredictable weather, and dynamic concert lighting? If you’re director Jeremy Garelick and cinematographer Bradford Lipson, you capture the live environment and rebuild it on an LED volume stage. In this exclusive interview for No Film School, DP Bradford Lipson breaks down his experience shooting Rolling Loud.
Mind Over Machete: The 5 Smartest Slasher Villains in Horror History
I was in a debate in my group chat the other day about which one of us could survive a horror movie. I feel like I could do okay, but we talked more about some of the smart villains in slasher movies; he's less well, I thought I'd do. Today, I want ot look at the most cerebral antagonists—the slasher villains I think that would be the most formidable foes. The ones I'm not sure I could escape. Let's dive in. 1.
The Paramount-Warner Bros. Megamerger Is Official: What Will They Call the New Studio?
Next week, unless there's some sort of crazy final-minute block, Paramount and Warner will finally merge, and another studio consolidation in Hollywood will be complete. A federal judge signed off on a settlement resolving an antitrust lawsuit filed by a California-led coalition of 12 state attorneys general, and the Paramount Skydance deal to close its mind-boggling $110.8 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery will officially pass on October 6th.
How the Hitmakers Behind 'Off Campus' Translate Script to Song
Emmy-winning and Billboard chart-topping Songwriters / Producers Doug Rockwell and Tova Litvin, the duo behind the music of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Julie and the Phantoms, and the ZOMBIES franchise, have recently brought their signature sound to Off Campus. They worked with executive music producer Alana Da Fonseca; they co-wrote original songs like "Yellow Haze" and "Keep Pretending" and reimagined pop favorites for the series.
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