12-27-98Halfway through the second draft now. It continues to grow. I now believe it's running about 118/119 pages. I think my goal is to have the script run no more than 110-115 though, so I'm sure there's plenty to chop down. Whether or not I "86" entire scenes or just tighten dialogue/trim scenes will be looked at in subsequent drafts.
I just finished the first (of 2) fight scenes between Elektra and Bullseye. There's no real victor in this first scene but more of an introduction as its the first time these two characters come into contact. The latter scene (which is up near page 90 or commonly known as the second plot point) is much more in-depth and decisive. Well, maybe not "decisive" (as you know how ol' Bullseye likes to fantasize).
I've also just begun the first major scene between Daredevil and the Kingpin where K-Pin gives DD a tour of his underground domain ala Dante's Inferno.
I still have a ton of reference material to go through. Each scene will be scrutinized after this second draft is complete and I will then determine how much/little of my references will play a part. While the above scene with DD and the K-Pin will touch upon a few different levels of the Inferno, I don't wish to go "too deep" (excuse the pun) into Dante's work in fear of losing those unfamiliar with the book. That's one of the hardest aspects I've found in writing a screenplay. How far do you go in quoting references? You want the script to be intelligent and thought provoking but you don't want to come off preachy or showoff-ish. It's a delicate balance one has to conjure up.
On a another note: I finally watched the movie Spawn. Considering the character's background, I thought perhaps it would give me a few insights into the whole "underworld" thing. Sadly, I was wrong. Love the comic. But the movie...? I think Roger Ebert said it best in his critique that "Spawn" is best seen as an experimental art film.