A Lasting Grudge – Behind The Screenplay
The screenplay for “A Lasting Grudge” stemmed initially from a series of YouTube videos my friend created (I don’t know if they’re still live and available) about being an “anti-critic,” seeing the best in bad art.
Rene Keneally is an artist who had been working hard to establish himself in the industry. He had finally gained some recognition when he received a scathing review from Jackson Cody, a prominent critic known for his harsh critiques. The review not only criticized Keneally’s work but also attacked his personal life, including his loved ones. The review went viral, and Keneally was left humiliated and devastated.
Keneally became obsessed with seeking revenge. The comments about his music and his art were fine, but the personal attacks and those against his loved ones were beyond the pail. Cody had to pay. Keneally became increasingly bitter and angry, his pursuit of vengeance consumed him.
His art became darker and more aggressive making it clear he had to terminate this distraction. He began to distance himself from his loved ones as he went about sharpening his plot to have Cody make amens.
The inspiration for “A Lasting Grudge” came from the real-life experiences of the author and loosely from similar stories in the media.
The story highlights the destructive nature of revenge and how it can consume a person’s life.
A Lasting Grudge writing playlist:
- Harold Budd – Rosetti Noise/Chrystal Garden And A Coda
- Abul Mogard – Quiet Dreams
- Oxmo Puccino – Alias Jon Smoke – Remasterisé
- Job Roggeveen – Uma
- Earth – Mirage
- Sheek Louch – On That Shit
- Bennie Maupin – Past + Present = Future
- Fuubutsushi – Bolted Orange
- William Tyler – An Opening
- Hailu Mergia – Yefkir Engurguro – Mixed
- Tinariwen – Tenere Maloulat
- Junior Parker – Tomorrow Never Knows
- Teebs – Atoms Song
- Get The Blessing – Not With Standing
- Ceeys – Waende
- Netam – Kurabiye
- The Sweet Enoughs – Dream Puppy
- Seckou Keita – Future Strings in E
- Avishai Cohen – Moonlight Sonata
- Tricky – Like a Stone – trentemøller Remix
- Ali Farka Touré – Cinquante six – Instrumental;2017 Remastered Version
- Plastikman – Consumed
- Ahmoudou Madassane – Zerzura Theme II
- David Bowie – Subterraneans – 2017 Remaster
- Lost Horizons – I Woke Up With An Open Heart
- Peter Gregson – The Dive
- Trigg & Gusset – Blue Shades
- Дeva – Witchcraft
- Colin Stetson – Beyond the Brake
- Bryce Dessner – Who’s Taking Care of Jesse?
- Philip Glass – Orphée’s Bedroom
- Carla dal Forno – Hype Sleep
- Bonobo – Polyghost
- Bone Thugs-N-Harmony featuring 2pac – Thug Luv
Story Inspiration
“A Lasting Grudge” was born from real life experiences, and then exaggerated one hundred fold. I used to run an online music magazine in which I wrote some reviews in a different iteration of my life that I’m not overly proud of. I’m proud of having created a music magazine, meeting and speaking with renowned artists, but the notion that I can judge someone’s hard work, efforts and art was and remains a deluded one.
I was never as scathing as some of the writers beneath me, but I was going through different periods in my life where the words I wrote seemed fine at the time. However, now that I’m more mature (theoretically) I’d think twice before reviewing anyone’s art again.
Several of my writers, however, wrote reviews and critiques that went beyond the pale. They took particular aim at the artists and their material and even uttered insinuations of physical threats in condemnation of the work. At the time, I was young and ignorant enough to believe that the controversy and words were fine and meant nothing. But as I grew, I realized the extent of the toll of these keyboard warriors’ words. Best exemplified with a couple of conversations with artists about reviews of their work.
One particular instance stands out in my memory in which I was face to face with a producer, and he highlighted what I had allowed to be published on my website. Half the time, for speed, I didn’t bother to read the reviews. Unfortunately, this was one of those times, and the reviewer took particularly crass and horrible aim at the beatmaker’s family. I instantly regretted that extreme oversight. At the same time, the notion of revenge from the artist’s side was born and along came “A Lasting Grudge.”
You can learn more about the Broken English production of A Lasting Grudge by clicking the underlined link.
