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  Alan pees in Mike Tyson’s pool.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John punches the man and runs away.

  THE CONJURING

  Ed says to the entity: “Close the door. Move something!”

  GONE GIRL

  Nick deciphers Amy’s clue and finds the location.

  MINUTE 66

  POSITIVE STEP

  Hero does something positive toward his goal

  The hero continues his attack, making favorable strides forward on his mission. This is a Positive Step for him, and for the audience. For example: In Forrest Gump, Forrest tells Jenny he wants to be her boyfriend. In The Sixth Sense, Malcolm studies his old session recordings to find more clues. In The Godfather, Michael tells Enzo to stand outside (to help guard his father).

  SKYFALL

  Bond makes it to the island where the Villain lives.

  THE AVENGERS

  Captain America searches for the truth.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu makes Mike Tyson laugh (he won’t kill them now).

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John goes with the psychologist.

  THE CONJURING

  In an effort to help the family, Lorraine hangs up their laundry.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy drives away from Nick.

  MINUTE 67

  HERO EFFECT

  Hero does something that will immediately or eventually impact the main bad guy

  The hero is on a roll. Let’s keep up his momentum during this minute by showing the hero affecting the main bad guy in some way, like when Spider-Man blinds Green Goblin and yanks out his flying machine wires in Spider-Man, or when Butch kills his boxing opponent in Pulp Fiction, which causes Marsellus to lose lots of money.

  SKYFALL

  Bond listens to the Villain/Silva’s story, looking for a weakness.

  THE AVENGERS

  Black Widow draws it out of Loki that he plans on unleashing Banner.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu encourages Phil to make a call to Doug’s fiancé.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tries to escape.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine tells Ed: “You’ve got to help them.”

  GONE GIRL

  Amy befriends her pregnant neighbor and “crams her with stories of (her) husband’s violent temper.”

  MINUTE 68

  ALLY AID

  Ally or love interest takes a positive/significant step toward hero

  The ally took a beating from the bad guy a few minutes back, but the ally is there for the hero, supposedly, through thick and thin. For example, Han opens the smuggle-door to let Luke and Obi-Wan out in Star Wars, and Sgt. Al tries to help John by holding back the police attack in Die Hard.

  SKYFALL

  Bond’s small GPS in his pocket clues MI6 to his whereabouts.

  THE AVENGERS

  Stark backs up Captain America in his suspicions about SHIELD.

  THE HANGOVER

  Phil tells the strangers to take it easy.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Dr. Rosen tells John that Charles is not there.

  THE CONJURING

  Carolyn tells Lorraine that she’s fine.

  GONE GIRL

  The pregnant neighbor asks Amy to use her bathroom (Amy steals her urine).

  MINUTE 69

  CAPTIVATING CONCERN

  Something is seen, heard, or experienced that causes great concern

  Concern makes its reappearance during Minute 69, but this time with more at stake. In Knocked Up, pregnant Alison shows concern because Ben wasn’t there for her during the earthquake. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Belloq and Marion show concern when the Nazi pulls out a torture device. In Forrest Gump, Jenny is concerned that Forrest doesn’t understand that they can’t be together.

  SKYFALL

  Silva tells Bond that M lied to him.

  THE AVENGERS

  Stark is concerned that SHIELD wants to make nuclear weapons.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu shows concern for Alan after he’s punched.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia is concerned for John’s mental health.

  THE CONJURING

  Concerned Lorraine watches Carolyn walk away.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy cries while writing in her diary.

  MINUTE 70

  NEW JOURNEY

  The hero, ally, or bad guy embarks on a new journey

  When the characters embark on a New Journey, many questions are raised that need to be answered: Will they survive it? Will they be hurt? Will they ultimately succeed? Wanting to know the answers to these questions keeps us watching, or reading . . .

  SKYFALL

  Silva makes a sexual advance toward Bond.

  THE AVENGERS

  While The Avengers squabble, Loki’s men prepare for attack.

  THE HANGOVER

  Mr. Chow orders the guys to find his $80,000.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Dr. Rosen tells Alicia that John suffers from paranoia and that Charles never existed.

  THE CONJURING

  Ed tells Roger that he was skeptical at first, but he appreciates his help.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy cuts her hair and dyes her eyebrows.

  MINUTE 71

  BAD TO THE BONE

  Bad guy, or secondary bad guy, shows aggression

  Not to be ignored, the bad guy goes on the attack again, in one way or another, for the next seven minutes. He just can’t help himself because he’s just like that George Thorogood song: Bad to the Bone. And he gets badder by the minute . . .

  SKYFALL

  Silva makes an aggressive sexual move on Bond.

  THE AVENGERS

  Loki’s men attack.

  THE HANGOVER

  Mr. Chow orders the guys to meet him at dawn.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John’s paranoia is more obsessive than Alicia thought.

  THE CONJURING

  Lorraine saw something horrific during a past exorcism.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy devours junk food and soda to change her appearance.

  MINUTE 72

  BADDER TO THE BONE

  Bad guy, or secondary bad guys, shows more aggression

  To keep up the tension, blockbusters show more aggression during this minute in different ways: In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Major Toht throws Marion into the snake-filled tomb with Indy. In The Sixth Sense, ghosts turn the air cold around frightened Cole. In Die Hard, the bad guys shoot out the cops’ lights. Here’s how our case studies do it:

  SKYFALL

  Silva tells Bond that he could pick his own secret missions, like he does.

  THE AVENGERS

  Loki’s men detonate a bomb.

  THE HANGOVER

  Phil tells Stu that Melissa “is the worst.”

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  The gate where John delivered the top secret messages was made up in his mind.

  THE CONJURING

  Officer Brad hears a voice say: “Look what she made me do.”

  GONE GIRL

  Amy says: “You think I’d let him destroy me and end up happier than ever? No fucking way.”

  MINUTE 73

  BADDEST TO THE BONE

  Bad guy, or secondary bad guys, ratchet up aggression even more

  Just when you thought the bad guy couldn’t get any meaner, he ratchets up his aggression even more. In Spider-Man, the Green Goblin knocks out Spidey. In Raiders of the Lost Ark, the Nazis seal Indy and Marion inside the tomb. In Die Hard, the bad guys shoot two cops.

  SKYFALL

  Silva suggests that he and Bond could control the world.

  THE AVENGERS

  The enemy’s bomb blows up a big chunk of the ship.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu’s new wife comes back into the picture.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  The government official’s home John delivered the “top secret messages�
�� to was also part of John’s crippling delusion.

  THE CONJURING

  A ghost screams at Officer Ed.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy strikes herself in the face with a hammer.

  MINUTE 74

  PUT INTO PERIL

  Hero and/or ally is put into peril

  By this time in the movie, the hero and ally are like our avatars or surrogates for the audience member — an extension of themselves. When the hero and/or ally is Put into Peril, so is the viewer, like when the Green Goblin paralyzes Spider-Man, or when the snakes close in on Indy and Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark, or when Michael is Put into Peril in The Godfather by agreeing to kill the police captain.

  SKYFALL

  Severine has been tied up to be executed.

  THE AVENGERS

  Black Widow is trapped.

  THE HANGOVER

  The security camera watches Alan win.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tells Alicia: “They may be listening.”

  THE CONJURING

  The door slams shut behind Cindy. Ed and Roger can’t get into her room.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick says: “She’s framing me for her murder.”

  MINUTE 75

  SKULL AND CROSSBONES

  Death or destruction is expressed or threatened

  Death comes on strong in these next two minutes, which we’ll explore here. The next two minutes are a heavy reminder that just like in real life, the things most precious to us — life and love and hopes and dreams — can be snatched away at any moment, thus the title Skull and Crossbones.

  SKYFALL

  Silva’s henchman aims his gun at Bond’s head.

  THE AVENGERS

  Loki grins at the destruction he’s wrought.

  THE HANGOVER

  Stu reminds Phil and Alan that Doug is still kidnapped and might be killed.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tells Alicia that: “There’s a threat that exists of catastrophic proportions.”

  THE CONJURING

  Cindy vanishes with a ghost who said: “Follow me.”

  GONE GIRL

  Margo asks Nick: “Does Missouri have the death penalty?”

  TURNING POINT 75

  Not only are the minutes surrounding Minute 75 occupied by some sort of death (actual death, death of a relationship, etc.), they are also where another major Turning Point happens in the story, usually landing between Minutes 74–76.

  More specifically, this Turning Point involves an actual death, a threat of death, or a brief escape from death, as we’ll see in our case studies below:

  SKYFALL

  Silva and his thugs force Bond outside to shoot the girl (Minute 75) — threat of death.

  THE AVENGERS

  Bruce Banner turns into the Hulk (Minute 75) — threat of death.

  THE HANGOVER

  Alan begins winning an insane amount of money at the table. The guys might be able to pay Doug’s ransom (Minute 75) — narrowly avoiding Doug’s death.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia shows John that the secret packages he dropped off for the government to pick up were never opened. “There is no conspiracy,” she tells him (Minute 76) — death of his illusion that the government is out to kill him.

  THE CONJURING

  The entity takes Cindy (Minute 75) — threat of death.

  GONE GIRL

  Nick learns that Missouri has the death penalty (Minute 75) — threat of death.

  MINUTE 76

  DEATH TAP

  Death or destruction, or their threat, is escalated

  And as the hero walks deeper into the Valley of Death — as referred to in King David’s Old Testament verse, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” — the black-hooded Grim Reaper, in some way, taps him on the shoulder with the tip of his scythe. Here are a few ways he does it during Minute 76:

  SKYFALL

  Silva kills Severine.

  THE AVENGERS

  The enemy has destroyed a main part of the ship.

  THE HANGOVER

  Mr. Chow waits for the guys and his money.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  The nurse says into the phone: “Dr. Rosen, Code Red.”

  THE CONJURING

  Cindy says, “That’s where Rory hides when he’s afraid.”

  GONE GIRL

  Amy uses the Internet to assure that Nick gets the death penalty.

  MINUTE 77

  THE RUMBLE

  A fight, argument, or violent act occurs

  The tension of death needs a release, and this is the minute where that happens. The release comes in the form of a fight. It’s time to rumble, either physically or emotionally. Whichever one you choose, a fight breaks out either way . . .

  SKYFALL

  Bond fights Silva’s henchmen.

  THE AVENGERS

  Thor fights the Hulk.

  THE HANGOVER

  The guys argue whether they should flick the lights or not.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  John tears open his skin, looking for the implant.

  THE CONJURING

  The house pulls Lorraine downward as she fights against it.

  GONE GIRL

  Amy’s new neighbor argues with her boyfriend.

  MINUTE 78

  MYSTERY MISSION

  Hero and ally interact; there’s a mystery that needs to be solved

  Okay, death has made an appearance and it caused a fight, but now the screenwriter must plant something during the next couple of minutes to keep the viewer watching. What they do is create a Mystery Mission. Mystery creates curiosity and spurs more questions. That curiosity has to be satisfied. Those questions have to be answered.

  SKYFALL

  Bond glances at M, wondering what she will say to Silva.

  THE AVENGERS

  Captain America asks Stark what their next move is.

  THE HANGOVER

  Mr. Chow’s guy yanks a man with a sack over his head out of the car.

  A BEAUTIFUL MIND

  Alicia watches John being strapped onto a gurney. John wonders what’s going to happen to him.

  THE CONJURING