Max Weinstein

Max Weinstein is an award-winning writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He was formerly the Editorial Director of MovieMaker and formerly the Editor-in-Chief of Diabolique. He earned his M.A. in Cinema Studies from New York University and his B.A. in English from Montclair State University.

Adapting a True Story: Examples of Writing Fiction Based on True Events

Think back to the last movie you saw whose characters were real people, or whose story was based on true events. Did it surprise you? Enrage you? Straight-forward biopics might cut corners here and there but what happens with truth is bent even further? When writers and directors play fast and loose with the truth, interesting things can happen. So, let's take a look at writing fiction based on true events. Where the truth can be used in creative ways with Tarantino, Charlie Kaufman, and the Safdie Bros. as our guides.SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't seen Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, Adaptation,…

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Max Weinstein

The Irishman Scene Breakdown — How Martin Scorsese Opens an Epic

By now, you’ve heard the jokes. One Netflix user timestamped The Irishman scene by scene so people could watch it as a mini-series. Others have recommended Martin Scorsese’s 209-minute epic to pass the time amidst the coronavirus outbreak: To survive months in isolation, just watch it once!We get it: The Irishman is long. Such is the nature of a film that spans six decades within its storyline.We’re not here to look for every Easter egg allegedly hidden inside Scorsese’s sprawling true crime narrative. But if you’re a filmmaker looking to leave a lasting first impression on your audience, there’s much…

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Max Weinstein