Breaking Bad will go down as one of the best shows of all time...

I recently finished the harrowing journey through the Albuquerque dessert with Walter White. I know I know...I'm late to the party, but Breaking Bad has been and continues to be one of the most beloved and hotly debated shows of the last decade, so I figured I needed to get on the bandwagon.

I LOVED IT. It was emotionally jarring, infuriating, exhilarating... everything a good story should be. I immediately starting watching the successful spinoff Better Call Saul, which I didn't enjoy as much, but was still impressed with. It won multiple Emmy's this year, which makes me think Vince Gilligans world of chemistry teachers turned meth cooks and corrupt lawyers will go down in history as one of the best dramatic TV shows of all time.

Here are my all-time favorite moments from the series:

WARNING: Spoilers ahead

Walter White feeds his victim

After Walter is tasked with killing someone, the first in a long line of victims, he can't bring himself to pull the trigger so to speak. He keeps the man tied up and locked in the basement until he can muster the courage to kill the only witness to his and Jesse's crimes. Instead of swiftly ending the guy, he ends up feeding him crustless sandwiches and giving him water and a way to relieve himself. It's a far cry from the cold blooded killer he becomes by the end. 

Walter blows up Tuco's office

In one of Walter's craftiest moments, he creates an incendiary substance that he presents to the ruthless drug lord, Tuco. Along with everyone else in the room we're made to believe he is handing over meth, but in a slow motion shocking reveal, Walter throws the substance to the ground causing everyone to be blown back by the explosion. Walt walks away unharmed, indulging in his new found power.

Jesse cares for the crack baby

In an effort to establish his dominance, Jesse shows up at a crack house to steal back his money and meth from a couple who pulled a fast one on his guys. What develops is a sloppy effort at intimidation on Jesse's part where he shows that he's actually compassionate by protecting the sweet little boy who's "parents" are more obsessed with getting high than taking care of him.

Hank finds out Walter White is Heisenberg

Breaking Bad fans had spent much time throughout the show imagining what the big reveal would look like when Hank discovered Walter's secret identity. The man he had spent the better part of a year hunting down and trying to catch, the biggest drug lord in the city, was actually... his brother in law! Not many of us imagined his revelation would come while sitting on the toilet, but you know, the acting is superb and the scene works.

Walter laughs maniacally under his house

In one of the most creatively shot scenes in television Walter is scurrying around under his house desperately trying to find all of the money he had made as a meth cook, but can't find it. When Skyler shows up to tell him that she had to give the money to her lover Ted to pay him off for knowing too much we get an aerial shot of Walter yelling and then laughing maniacally as he realizes all of his money has been given to the man who cheated with his wife. It's intense and ironic and a superb performance from Cranston.

The poisoning of the drug lords

As Gustavo's (Gus) story unfolds, we start to understand his connection to the Latin American drug cartel, which makes the scene where he takes his revenge on them all the more crazy.  

Walter's final confession to Skyler

Not everyone would agree with me that the ending of Breaking Bad was satisfying, but one of my favorite elements of the ending was Walt's last interaction with Skyler. When he goes to tell her goodbye for the last time, he finally confesses what drove him to do all that he did. "I did it for me," he said. "I liked it. I was good at it...I was alive." It's one of the most genuine scenes of repentance I've ever seen at a show's conclusion, and it's beautiful.

Gus' death

When it starts to become clear that Walter and Gus can't exist in the same town anymore, the question about when and where Gus' demise will happen keeps us guessing. In a scene that shocked and astounded, Gus' own archenemy (with the help of Walter) takes Gustavo down, and sacrifices himself in the process. It's definitely a moment that will go down in TV history.

THE ENTIRE 'OZYMANDIAS' EPISODE 

The news of Hank's death reaching his wife, Walter kidnapping his own daughter, Skyler pulling a knife on Walter. If that's not great television, I don't know what is. The episode is all great drama as the climax of Walter's story unfolds in the ante-penultimate episode of the show. It was directed by upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi's, Rian Johnson, which speaks to its excellence.

Casablanca has graced the screen for 75 years! (and it's my movie pick of the week)

If you can imagine a tense political climate, half of the world at war, and a general sense of fear and uncertainty at home and abroad, (it shouldn't be too hard to imagine) that was the atmosphere in the United States when Casablanca was released. Debuting on Thanksgiving Day in 1942, it is celebrating its 75th anniversary this week. This timeless classic is a wartime romance that was released in the midst of World War II. It was explicitly an anti-Nazi film, making it one of the most historically relevant and emotionally resonant stories to ever grace the screen.

Casablanca has been screened in theaters and on television more times than any other film in history. It is one of the most quoted movies and is frequently hailed as one of the best films of all time. In spite of all of its political themes, the characters and storyline aren't overshadowed by its agenda, beautifully developed, making it one of the best told stories in cinema history.

Ingrid Bergman stars as Isle, the wife of Victor Laszlo, a concentration camp escapee who is on the run from the Nazis during the early stages of World War II. They take refuge in Casablanca, Morroco, which is a French territory that has yet to be occupied by the Nazis, though their presence is still very much felt. Humphrey Bogart plays Rick Blaine, the elusive bar and nightclub owner in Casablanca

Rick and Ilse have a history that is marked by heartbreak and unanswered questions, which makes Ilse and Victor's arrival in Casablanca complex for everyone involved. Meanwhile, refugees from the war are trying to find an escape to America while the Nazi regime grows ever closer, impacting the lives of everyone in the story and beyond.

The film took home Oscars for Best Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Director, not to mention 5 other nominations and countless other awards. Whether you've seen the film one hundred times before, or you've never seen it, you'd be remiss not to take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate this iconic achievement in filmmaking on its 75th anniversary.

Here are some other interesting facts about the film:

- In the famous scene where the "Marseillaise" is sung over the German song "Watch on the Rhine, many of the extras shed real tears because many of them were actual refugees from Nazi persecution in Germany and elsewhere in Europe.

- Many of the actors who played the Nazis were in fact German Jews who had escaped from Nazi Germany.

- Due to wartime restrictions on building supplies, many of the sets were reused from other Warner Bros movies.

- Warner Bros was the first studio to prohibit its films from being distributed in Nazi-occupied territories and Casablanca was not the only anti-Nazi film it produced during the war.

- Two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered the war, studios rushed to produce patriotic films including Casablanca

- In 2006 this film's script was named the best screenplay of all time by the Writer's Guild of America  - "Here's looking at you, kid" was improvised by Humphrey Bogart

- The film has six quotes on the American Film Institute's list of top movie quotes, more than any other movie on the list. Including these quotes with their ranks: (5) "Here's looking at you, kid." (20) Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (43) "We'll always have Paris" (67) "of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

- In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked Casablanca as the #3 greatest movie of all time

- The script was written by twins Julius J. Epstein and Philip G. Epstein, the first and only (to date) twins to ever win an Academy Award

AFF recap and screenwriting update

The Austin Film Festival has come and gone and while I would've liked to come away with insightful reviews of dozens of films and all kinds of industry knowledge and great contacts, I honestly just walked away knowing one thing for sure: I love films and am mesmerized by the artistic process of creating them. Even if I never get to see anything I create or co-create make it to the screen, I'm going to do everything I possibly can to share my voice and be a part of that world.

There were some unforeseen circumstances that only allowed me to see about half of the films I had planned on. Everything from a family emergency to a cancelled showing, but I still got to sit in that fancy theater in downtown Austin, watch brilliant films, and listen to one of the creators talk about her passion and process. That one night made it all worth it!

I did get a chance to write a review for Lady Bird, which was published by Reel World Theology late last week. Greta Gerwig's directorial debut has received rave reviews from critics and fans and landed at the top of my favorite films this year. The Q&A with Gerwig after the film was brief, but my favorite part of the festival by far. While I didn't meet any other screenwriters, I did get to connect with someone else who loves film and we went to a couple of showings together. It was a blast.

Here are my main takeaways from the experience:

Film festival viewings are different from any other

The people who spend the time and money to attend a film festival all have a common goal, which is to celebrate the films and filmmakers at the festival. This creates a movie-watching experience unlike any other. The atmosphere is electric. The audience is invested, and especially on the premier night, the mood is lively.

Hearing from a film's creator brings a whole new perspective and appreciation

It's one thing to watch a film, try to interpret what the filmmaker must have wanted to convey, and walk away without any additional information about what went into creating the film. It's another thing entirely to hear from the creator - to find out what the heart and soul is behind the project. It inspires a kind of appreciation that wouldn't exist otherwise.

Springing for the badge is totally worth it

Even though it's twice as expensive, spending the extra money to have access to all of the panels and interviews is totally worth it. I only attended one Q&A and I was totally jazzed and inspired. As an aspiring screenwriter, I can only imagine how insightful it would have been to hear from more filmmakers. Which reminds me...

I haven't shared a screenwriting update for a while...

As mentioned, I have been going through Screencraft's "Write Your Screenplay in 60 Days" program. My screenplay wasn't completed in 60 days, but it has been a helpful framework. I AM IN THE FINAL PAGES THOUGH! It's been a fun and at times difficult process writing this story, but when I start to lose motivation I try give myself a little pep talk and keep these four things in mind (from the Screencraft blog): 

● I've built some great habits. I'm a writer. This is a real achievement and these new habits will help me get to the end of this process.

● My story deserves to be told. I've created all these interesting characters, an exciting, premise, and carefully crafted details. I've done the heavy lifting, now it’s about letting it come to life.

● Indulge in the idea of this movie getting produced. Not all screenplays will, in fact most won’t, but not many writers are going through the process that I am. A script can never be produced if it isn’t written, so I should give my project that chance!

● Have fun! I'm bringing a story to life. I'm bringing a whole new world into reality. That’s an amazing experience. Enjoy it!

That's all for now. Once finishing the script (hopefully this week) I will edit and refine through the next 6 weeks at which point I will officially have written my first screenplay! We will see what's in store after that...