ALLIGATORS IN A HELICOPTER

a pro script reader ponders movies, reading, writing and the occasional personal flashback

Friday, November 21, 2008

Weekend Box Office #111... And I Need a Character Name

First the weekend. There are only two movies opening, and both are going to be pretty huge.

BOLT (3651 theaters). It looks like it skews a little young, but reviews have been good, and the 3D will help. My guess: $51.1 million.

TWILIGHT (3419 theaters). Huge advance sales, and a big teen audience (or at least a big teenage girl audience). It's hard to tell how far the audience will really expand from there, but the first weekend should be big. $68.2 million.

Jump in with your guesses, because either could be a lot bigger or smaller.

******

So I'm wrestling with one of the character names in the thriller I just finished, and I'm looking for a little random help.

Because it's sort of a character-thriller in which the main characters are introduced on the fly, I'm looking for a name that will fix itself in the readers' heads, so that they'll remember who he is, without it being too on-the-nose.

Here's the character: he's 22, a former jock sunk into a life of laziness and frustration, the alpha-male of the group. Nicknames are fine, and might actually work better, but aren't required.

Go.

36 Comments:

At 9:13 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

haywood strike

 
At 9:30 AM, Blogger Michael said...

Zach, or for a nickname Dozer as in bulldozer. Of course Leslie is quite memorable. :>)

 
At 9:50 AM, Blogger MoviePen said...

Assuming you need a real name, Biff (though a bit dated).

If you need a script name, maybe "Has-Been Jock" or "Paunchy Ex-Footballer".

 
At 10:29 AM, Blogger Kira Snyder said...

I like this site for random names:

http://www.unled.net/

You can reload until you find one you like, and often I'll find that a name on there will spark something that works.

Also, I posted on character names on my blog a while back.

Good luck!

 
At 2:34 PM, Blogger Jeff said...

Try looking for a good last name for him to go by. Lots of guys do that, informally among friends, and it opens up a lot of more interesting possibilities.

Mosier
Bergeron
Livingston
Whitford
Patterson

 
At 2:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Boost.
Plaxico.
Elijah.
Sullivan.
Crash.
Payton.
Buford.
Stone.
Tappen.
Reesen.


-- Harry (my name, not a suggestion :))

 
At 3:31 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

This sort of thing fascinates me, because I'm terrible at remembering names.

You can give him a name that's unexpected, like Quentin Frost. Or tie it into an unusual celebrity name, like Elvis Kolchinski. Or Zack Presley, and he says, "No relation to Elvis." (Maybe too heavy-handed)

 
At 4:14 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Axel
Prescott

I also like Patterson from the other guy's list.

 
At 4:34 PM, Blogger Scott the Reader said...

Nothing's really struck me yet.

Some further refinements: I only need one name (though going by his last name is interesting).

It should be more working class/red state than preppy.

 
At 4:50 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I had a friend who was named MANNIX. Named after Joe Mannix a hard boiled detective from 70's TV show. Always thought the name looked and sounded cool.

Or you could go with Columbo or Kojak.

 
At 5:18 PM, Blogger wcmartell said...

My ex's oldest son is Boomer.

I have no idea what his real name is.

- Bill

 
At 5:28 PM, Blogger E.C. Henry said...

"Twilight" looks like SHIT, all buzz and NO COMPELLING story. If you don't find the leads good looking, expect little else.

Where's all the "good" movies? It seams like all we get these days is dullary. Are we now feeling the affects of the strike? When's the "good stuff" coming?

As far as names go I like the name, Dax.

- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA

 
At 6:05 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Jake Grippenburg "Gripp"

 
At 7:02 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Working class/red state?

Butch

 
At 9:56 PM, Blogger Webs said...

His name is "Trip".

 
At 12:11 AM, Blogger marcoguarda said...

DALLAS

LAMBERT

ASH

KANE

PARKER

GARRY

RED

PHIL

MIKE

WALTER

FUCHS

MAC something

NAILS

BEN

SEAN

MATT

FRANK

PERRYMAN

SCHNEIDER

SID

ZACK

ROLLAND

CHRISTIANSEN

TURNER

CARPENTER

ROSEMEYER

JEFF

RYAN

MARTY

HOOPER

JIM

JONAS

ELIAS

BURKE

DAVID

PETERSON

HARRY

SAM

SONNY

ISAAC

MURRAY

ROY

DAWSON

TRACY

JOE

WILMER

BLAKE

CHARLIE

CORMAN

HICKS

BRETT


M.

 
At 3:07 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Meat.

 
At 3:08 AM, Blogger Eleanor said...

Buck

 
At 6:04 AM, Blogger Jeff said...

There's something real about a blue-collar guy with a fancy last name. First name, no way, but last name? Sure. A mechanic called Whitford or Myer or Crosby is kinda cool.

When I'm stuck I look at baseball rosters.

 
At 6:25 AM, Blogger Christian H. said...

Jocko

 
At 6:51 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Rip

 
At 8:36 AM, Blogger meg said...

Scooter
Charlie
Ray
Craig
Travis
Wilson
Tommy
Gil (for Gilbert)
Hines
Murphy
Jackson
Duke
Clint
Bennett
Jake
Gavin
Caleb

 
At 9:21 AM, Blogger DougJ said...

Rex (alpha maleness)

Cord (could be short for 'Record', as in he broke a lot of athletic records in high school. Or he is built like a cord of wood.)

 
At 11:28 AM, Blogger Scott the Reader said...

Thanks all (though keep 'em coming if you got them).

There's something about "Dallas" that strikes a chord (though Marco, Schneider? Really?). I like "Cord" as well.

Twilight made $35 million yesterday, counting Friday night's midnight screenings.

 
At 12:49 PM, Blogger Cole Matson said...

Cole

(And yes, it is my name, but I get comments on it wherever I go.)

 
At 1:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dane

 
At 4:15 PM, Blogger meg said...

J.D.
Brady
Dell
Cooper
Porter
Wade
Austin
Cody
Colton
Logan
Wyatt
Deacon
Brick
Davis
Blades

 
At 4:40 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dallas?? Will his friends be named Pony Boy and Soda Pop? C'mon Francis -- leave S.E. Hinton alone.

 
At 7:22 PM, Blogger MaryAn Batchellor said...

marco, alphabetize please! Tough otherwise to see if my name has already been listed.

 
At 9:16 PM, Blogger aggiebrett said...

Krunch Buttsteak

 
At 12:41 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Scout
Chet
Baker

 
At 2:16 PM, Blogger Eddie M said...

Lambo

 
At 8:25 AM, Blogger Emily Blake said...

Max Power

 
At 12:54 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Emily, how'd you miss this one ?
His name is Blake. Could be his first or last name. I'd go with last name and that's what everybody calls him.

 
At 11:20 PM, Blogger DManley said...

Dirk Underwood

 
At 7:48 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Brock

If you like Dallas, what about Austin?

 

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