Quoted from Scar Tissue Films List of films from 2007 that are far better written than Michael Clayton: Control, Silent Light, the Lives of Others, Zodiac, Climates, Away from Her, 12:08 East of Bucharest, Syndromes and a Century, the Painted Veil, Beyond Hatred to just name a few. Of course, you won't have seen any of them. (maybe Zodiac).

But thank heavens we have you to point the way to those of us not as enlightened.

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films I wouldn't wipe my arse with it.

Debate is fine, Rick, but try to keep things in the realm of good taste.

Quoted from Tierney DecadenceFilms so far has criticized Derek Haas and Tony Gilroy.  Those hacks!  Oscar nominations and huge worldwide grosses with Haas at 320 million and Gilroy at 750 million. You can not like the writing all you want but Hollywood buys their “unfilmable” screenplays and turns them into movies that make money.  If you don’t like their work -- or don’t understand it -- maybe it says something about your ability to write a feature that can sell.

When you earn some nominations, and earn those numbers, you can write your scripts on toilet paper with virgin's blood.  I don't think any director or producer will turn down scripts by these guys.

We, unfortunately, are not these guys.


Phil

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films List of films from 2007 that are far better written than Michael Clayton: Control, Silent Light, the Lives of Others, Zodiac, Climates, Away from Her, 12:08 East of Bucharest, Syndromes and a Century, the Painted Veil, Beyond Hatred to just name a few. Of course, you won't have seen any of them. (maybe Zodiac).

Okay, so everything you wrote after that I couldn't be bothered reading. How to make friends and influence people hey? That was an incredibly patronizing thing to say.

And by the way 'The Lives of Others' was a 2006 film, hence why it won best Foreign language award at the 2007 Oscars.

You are allowed an opinion but don't get sniffy at other peoples choices of what represents a good script to them. I actually think Michael Clayton was one of the best scripts of last year and I have seen some of the other films you mentioned.

Behave!!

Was I talking to you?

Wind your neck in.

Quoted from dogglebe When you earn some nominations, and earn those numbers, you can write your scripts on toilet paper with virgin's blood.  I don't think any director or producer will turn down scripts by these guys. We, unfortunately, are not these guys. Phil

Have you read Juno?

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying I think Juno was the best script of last year or anything but the facts are it was a first time script from an unknown, it got produced, it was a financially successful and Oscar nominated film and won best original screenplay Oscar, not bad!

Read it, it is full of examples of breaking the rules that had it been posted on here it would have attracted many comments on that fact.

Not saying at all that we should throw the rule book out the window but really, as an aspiring screenwriter who should I be looking up to and trying hard to emulate?  Syd Field who does not seem to have written very much of any good or Diablo Cody? Logically speaking it is a no brainer surely?

I've read the Courier and 2 fast 2 furious.

They are good at writing fast moving, adolescent drivel. The kind of stuff that Hollywood loves.

What do you want me to say? That they are geniuses?

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2251012/Juno-Script

Where are all these rule breaks in Juno?

Absolutely everything in the script goes straight onto the screen. Her actions are described in detail.

When she uses charcater description, she backs it up with dialogue e.g the eccentric storekeeper.

It's pretty much by the book.

Mike, you've inspired me.


Phil

Another Writer.

Check out Redbelt that's an interesting film and script from Mamet.

Edmond was a deeply interesting script. The film never got a widespread release because it dealt with some controversial topics (God forbid that film writers should ever deal with any serious issues).

The script for Spartan was also excellent.

IMO he is the best writer of dialogue currently working.

Quoted from AnotherWriter And, please, do tell us all the "great" movies Mamet has written...

Glengarry Glenn Ross is another good one for dialogue.

What is funny is watching this go round and round without anybody being convinced of anything.

But I have been kind of sold on the idea, though, of bending some rules without fear of repercussions, after listening to some of you guys.

So it is not completely falling upon deaf ears.  For whatever that is worth.

The way I figure it is -- as a reader of many scripts, and as a writer -- how much does bending a few rules bug me?  Not much, and if it adds to the story, I actually enjoy it.

So I will bet that most readers and writers of many scripts probably feel the same way.  Not all.  But most.

I'll bet that as long as you demonstrate that you know what you are doing otherwise, it is fine to tweak the conventions now and then.

I just wish some of you guys would stop being so darn vehement about it.  Respect each other's opinions.    

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films http://www.scribd.com/doc/2251012/Juno-Script Where are all these rule breaks in Juno? Absolutely everything in the script goes straight onto the screen. Her actions are described in detail. When she uses charcater description, she backs it up with dialogue e.g the eccentric storekeeper. It's pretty much by the book.

Sorry, I can't be serious about this thread anymore, Phil's picture is freaking me out!! I am not sure whether I am repulsed or aroused (it can be a fine line sometimes!  ) )

Think I have said enough on that.

Quoted Text Juno marching down various street, pumping her arms like a jogger and chugging intermittently from the huge carton of juice. We watch her breathlessly navigate suburbia, clearly on a mission

If that had been written by a newbie on here and posted for feedback we would have had so may comments that sentence not being written as a script.

"We watch her"  - sorry no, you cannot say that.

"Pumping"  - No not that either, you should say "she pumps".

"Chugging" - Ditto

"Clearly on a mission" - How do we know that, show don't tell.


And that is two sentences from Page 2!!!

Quoted from Murphy Sorry, I can't be serious about this thread anymore, Phil's picture is freaking me out!! I am not sure whether I am repulsed or aroused (it can be a fine line sometimes!  ) )

If everyone follows the rules, I'll change the avatar back to Soccubus.


Phil