I try to read screenplays every chance I get and I often find that the best ones are those that, when you're reading them, you forget that they're a screenplay. I'm currently reading the Gone Girl script and can't stop chuckling to myself. Gillian Flynn is able to get so much humour and wit into so few words, it really is a joy to read. What are everyone else's favourite screenplay reads?
Screenwriting : Reading Screenplays by Ed Vassie
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Back in the day, SCREAM was the first script that just flowed for me.
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GONE GIRL is a great read! THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is another hilarious read.
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I've had almost too many to count, but The Social Network and The Way Way Back have been on my phone for a long time.
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Absolutely loved "Gone Girl" - brilliantly executed and kept me engrossed to the very end!
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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Funny and moves at breakneck. Every scene starts halfway through and it forces you to keep up.
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"Casablanca" - - so masterful - - sigh!!
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Imitation Game and Locke are recent reads that I loved.
Agreed, reading others' screenplays is an essential part of our growth as screenwriters. For me, the tender, funny and dramatic, LIFE AS A HOUSE, by Mark Audrus, has turned out to be an ongoing screenwriting tutorial for me. No matter how many times I read it I come away inspired and instructed. Sure, there are others, but LAAH remains one of my favorites.
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What's good, Anthony! I heard LOCKE is one of the best movies of the year. Where did you find that script?
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Locke is fantastic, amazingly well written and tight script... both movie and script worth seeing/reading... script is at http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Locke.pdf
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Thanks Anthony! I love GITS! I must have missed that in the newsletter. Did you know I'm taking the PAGES 1: Writing The First Draft Masterclass with Scott Meyers. He's such a good teacher -- Skype classes are amazing. I'm posting them, if you wanna check 'em out.
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Thanks Shawn, will do.
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"LOCKE" -- an awesome film, filled with poetry! Thanks for mentioning it, Anthony, and giving the link.
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FARGO is one of the cleanest scripts I've read. As a reader today, I very, very rarely see a compelling story well written in a bulletproof format. When I stumble over basic formatting issues, I'm thrown out of the story. Why is it so hard?
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Doug, can you give me just one good example of what you're talking about. For whatever reason I'm always concerned that something in my formatting might not be exactly perfect.
Hey Patrick! You can check out KINGSTOWN posted on my page. My formatting is proper for the current spec market according to The Screenwriter's Bible. KINGSTOWN has also been through double-digit coverages and is being reviewed by THW as we post.
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Patrick, no I can’t give you just one example – there are so many. Scene headings should not include anything more than INT/EXT. LOCATION – DAY/ NIGHT – don’t put action in scene headings. Keep your writing short and concise – no adverbs (find a stronger verb.) Keep it in present tense (not passive), avoid words that end in “…ing”. Give each character a unique voice. Cut way back on unnecessary exposition (don’t waste precious story space on filler.) These are the sorts of things that send professional readers out of the storyline – once you’ve done that; you’ve lost ‘em.
Team – I took a quick look at KINGSTOWN – it’s not bad, a little redundant in spots.
Doug, thanks. All of the things you mention seemed to go without saying. Maybe that's just me. I've always heard people talk about incorrect formatting but I guess I don't see much of it. But I haven't read that many scripts. What I do see a lot of are boring stories, totally unfunny "comedies" and what I call "OH, COME ON"s. When there's a plot point that is so utterly ridiculous that it would never happen in real life.